Campus Observation Room (COR)

The Campus Observation Room (COR) is our on-site non-medical detox service overseen by Student Wellness Services with the support of trained student volunteers and professional Addiction Support Workers. It is a voluntary, confidential and a non-judgmental place where students who have had too much to drink can come to sleep.

If someone is intoxicated and unresponsive, call 9-1-1 immediately.

Health resource map: shows the location of on and off resources (interactive google map version).
How to decide where to go: lists Queen’s and community medical options available to you and when you should use each one.

2024-25 Hours

COR is open throughout the fall term and during St. Patrick's Day weekend in the winter term.

Saturday August 31st at 9am – 7am on Sunday September 1st
Sunday September 1st at 9pm – 7am on Monday September 2nd

Friday September 6th at 9pm – 7am on Saturday September 7th
Saturday September 7th at 9pm – 7am on Sunday September 8th

Friday September 13th at 9pm – 7am on Saturday September 14th
Saturday September 14th at 9pm – 7am on Sunday September 15th

Friday September 20th at 9pm – 7am on Saturday September 21st
Saturday September 21st at 9pm – 7am on Sunday September 22nd

Friday September 27th at 9pm – 7am on Saturday September 28th
Saturday September 28th at 9pm – 7am on Sunday September 29th

Friday October 4th at 9pm – 7am on Saturday October 5th
Saturday October 5th at 9pm – 7am on Sunday October 6th

*CLOSED October 11-12 and October 18*

EXTENDED October Hours
Saturday October 9th at 2pm – 7am on Sunday October 10th
Friday October 25th at 9pm – 7am on Saturday October 26th
Saturday October 26th at 2pm – 7am on Sunday October 27th
Thursday October 31st at 9pm – 7am on Friday November 1st

Friday November 1st at 9pm – 7am on Saturday November 2nd
Saturday November 2nd at 9pm – 7am on Sunday November 3rd

Friday November 8th at 9pm – 7am on Saturday November 9th
Saturday November 9th at 9pm – 7am on Sunday November 10th

EXTENDED March Hours
Friday March 14th at 9pm – 7am on Saturday March 15th
Saturday March 15th at 2pm – 7am on Sunday March 16th

Location

You can access COR through the south-east entrance of Leonard Hall, near the dining hall. Street address is 128 Queen’s Crescent near the corner of Albert Street and Queen’s Crescent.

Students can travel to COR via Amey’s Taxi and receive a taxi chit to pay for the ride. Please ask the taxi to wait and come into COR to ask volunteers to provide you with a chit.

Location of COR at Leonard Hall

The COR Experience

All Queen’s students, alumni and guests to Queen’s are welcome at COR. We do not admit St. Lawrence, Royal Military College (RMC) or local high school students, unless they are identified as a guest of a Queen’s student.

Beyond that, the criteria to be admitted include:

Intoxicated by alcohol
Able to walk (with support) and talk (mutters are OK)
Willingness to stay
No major injuries (i.e., if someone has hit their head or is bleeding heavily, they will need to be medically cleared by a physician first)

Students who are intoxicated are assessed and monitored by professional Addictions Support Workers (ASWs) and trained student volunteers.
COR is always confidential, but our services are not anonymous. We collect only the information we need to help keep you safe.
If their condition warrants it, COR staff will send students for medical help at the Emergency Department.
Visitors to COR usually sleep and are monitored by staff so they can be helped immediately if their condition worsens.
All visitors are awakened at 6:30 am and are almost always sent home at this time. If a visitor is still heavily intoxicated and unsafe to leave, alternate arrangements will be made to ensure their safety.

There are several misconceptions over what to do when a friend or even someone you don’t know is really intoxicated. Here are some suggestions:

DO

Prioritize your own safety and well-being
Remain calm; try to be friendly and non-judgmental
Keep your distance; ensure the person knows what you are going to do before you approach or touch them
Stand to the side of them when you speak to ensure the person feels less threatened
If possible, try to find a quiet area to talk to the person to avoid embarrassment
Tell the person you are concerned about their safety
Try to find a friend of the person who is relatively sober; sometimes people will listen more to a familiar voice
If the person starts to become a danger to themselves or other people, and you can’t calm the person down, don’t hesitate to call 9-1-1 for help

DON'T

Walk, exercise, or shower a person who is intoxicated
Laugh at or argue with someone who’s intoxicated or has been doing drugs
Try to physically restrain them
Give beverages or drugs to sober someone up; only time can do that

Be Aware of Dangers

Choking either on their own vomit, on food, liquid, or medication. To help avoid this danger, place someone in the recovery position. (See below)
Injury due to impaired coordination and judgement, a person may fall or take risks that they would not when sober
Unconsciousness or respiratory problems as blood alcohol levels rise, heart rate and breathing may become depressed resulting in cardiac or respiratory arrest. To help avoid this danger, Get Help Now

The recovery position is used when an individual is unconscious but still breathing to prevent choking on vomit and other fluid. Assume that the individual is lying on their back, and that you approach them from the side of their body.

Raise the arm closest to you above their head and bring their other arm across their chest.
Straighten the leg closest to you and bend the other leg at the knee
Gently roll the person towards you, holding their shoulder and hip
Tilt their head slightly back
Tuck their nearest hand under their cheek

Contact Us

For more information about COR, email cor@queensu.ca.

Call 613-533-6911 when COR is open for advice on how to help a friend who is intoxicated.

Interested in volunteering at COR?

Additional Resources

Queen’s Campus Security & Emergency Services (CSES) and/or Queen’s First Aid – call 613-533-6111
Kingston Health Sciences Centre
- Detox Centre at 240 Brock Street - call their 24/7 phone line: 613-549-6461
  - For people 16 years + who are intoxicated
- Urgent Care Centre at 144 Brock Street
  - For cuts requiring stitches, minor concussions and broken bones
- Emergency Department at 41 King Street West
  - For life/limb threatening injuries, sexual violence/domestic abuse