The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), a division of the National Institutes of Health, recently published the results of its annual study comparing drug and alcohol use trends of college students versus their peers not in college.
Marijuana use among college students is now at “the highest level in over three-and-a-half decades” with a 6% increase in use from 2015 to 2020. Additionally, the use of hallucinogens increased by 4% from 2019 to 2020. Cigarette use, as well as abuse of amphetamines and opioids all decreased over the same five-year period.
Of interest, alcohol use among college age students dramatically lowered over the course of 2020. The study authors also note that the COVID-19 pandemic played a large role in changing social and behavioral patterns for this time, although there is no significant link between the two. In 2019, 62% of college students had consumed alcohol in the past 30 days and 35% were intoxicated in the previous 30 days. In 2020, those numbers fell to 56% and 28% respectively, although it is unclear whether this trend will continue as students return to campus.
Moreover, as nationwide views on marijuana use have shifted dramatically such that it is often considered a ‘safe’ drug and is used in various forms, now more than ever higher education leaders must be vigilant to combat this message of normalization as a hinderance to student learning. In 2019, ACTA’s report “Addressing College Drinking And Drug Use” discussed the need for high-level engagement by trustees and provided examples of best practices and successful programs.
A spring 2021 webinar hosted by ACTA also highlighted these issues focusing on substance use on campuses amid the COVID-19 pandemic. A distinguished group of panelists including Robert L. Dupont, M.D., Amelia M. Arria, Ph.D., Ellen Rome, M.D., M.P.H., and Caleb S. Boswell, L.L.P.C., N.C.C., reinforced the message that we must prioritize mental health and we must normalize substance-free behavior. Campus leaders and administrators must continue to correct misperceptions about the safety of marijuana. They must also highlight students who are substance-free; showcasing that substance use does not need to be the standard. Both marijuana and hallucinogens are often turned to in times of isolation (such as the COVID-19 pandemic) to feel better while worsening the problem. Students need places on campus they can go to where they can gather, talk, and have a space they feel safe in to express themselves without the need for alcohol or drugs.
On March 11, the New York Times reported that five West Point cadets were among seven New York college students who overdosed on cocaine laced with fentanyl during a spring break trip to Florida. Two of the students went into cardiac arrest from exposure to the substance after they performed mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on two other […]
As campuses reopen, how can college leaders help students who have struggled with alcohol and drug use and mental health issues during the pandemic?
Delivered live on April 14, 2021, ACTA’s webinar for college leaders and trustees featured four world class experts on student mental health and substance use. They explored key research on the effects of COVID-19 on student mental health, drug, and alcohol use; its profound impact on student outcomes; and strategies to promote a healthy academic […]
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