Campus Abuses on the Rise

Posted by janellev

April 12, 2007

Alcohol and drug abuse on college campuses has increased according to a March 15th article in USA Today. It is almost a rite of passage for college students to use their newfound freedom on binge drinking, keg parties and experimental drugs. For some this creates embarrassing stories and fond memories. For others, however, it can be the start of a lifelong battle with addiction.

The article, based on a study released by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University, stated that college students have higher rates of alcohol or drug addiction than the general public: 22.9% compared with 8.5%. Alcohol remains the most popular substance of abuse on college campuses, but the abuse of prescription drugs and marijuana has also seen dramatic increases.

Some other finding from the article and CASA survey include:

Students who said they had abused painkillers such as Percocet, Vicodin and OxyContin during the past month rose from fewer than 1% of students in 1993 to 3.1% in 2005, a reflection of how the rising number and availability of prescription drugs has increased abuse.

The percentage of students who reported smoking marijuana heavily — at least 20 days during the past month — more than doubled, from 1.9% in 1993 to 4% in 2005.

The percentage of students who reported using illegal drugs other than marijuana, such as cocaine and heroin, in the past month jumped from 5.4% in 1993 to 8.2% in 2005.

Overall, the percentage of students who reported drinking alcohol at least occasionally was about the same: 68% in 2005, compared with 70% in 1993. Those who said they engaged in binge drinking — defined as having five drinks for male students and four drinks for female students at one “drinking occasion” during the previous two weeks — held steady at 40%.

However, the percentage of students who reported binge drinking three or more times during the previous two weeks increased from 19.7% in 1993 to 22.8% in 2001, the study found. In 2005, 83% of campus arrests involved alcohol, the study found.

This study brings to light what many parents and administrators already know — it is no longer acceptable to turn a blind eye on the problem of campus alcohol and drug abuse. College campuses around the country are going to have to establish protocols for handling addiction and substance abuse.

To read the entire article, please click here: http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-03-15-college-drug-use_N.htm

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