NCJ Number
158600
Date Published
1995
Length
49 pages
Annotation
This student drug survey at the University of Maryland was conducted in September-November 1994 and involved a random sample of all undergraduate and graduate classes.
Abstract
Of 58 classes selected for the survey, 42 classes agreed to participate and 1,151 students completed self-administered questionnaires. Findings revealed that alcohol was the most widely used substance among students; 20 percent of students who used alcohol during the past year reported having multiple alcohol-related problems. Marijuana was the most widely used illicit substance, with 1 in 4 students reporting the use of marijuana at least once during the year prior to the survey. Students with a grade point average below 2.5 were twice as likely as the total student population to use alcohol or marijuana on a near daily basis. Fewer students disapproved of illicit drug use in 1994 than in 1991, and marijuana use increased over this period. The major change in student drug use between 1991 and 1994 involved a significant increase in marijuana use by freshmen. Graduate students and students who lived at home had lower drug use rates. Alcohol and marijuana use by University of Maryland students was largely consistent with nationwide rates. Appendixes contain data on the frequency of student alcohol and marijuana use and on characteristics of alcohol and marijuana users. The student drug survey questionnaire is included. 20 tables and 7 figures