Substance Abuse

Paper Summary:

In this article, the writer notes that it is a fact that college students and their alcohol and drug use are almost inevitably linked, at least in the minds of the general public. Prospective students rate educational institutions not only for their value in terms of academics, but also in terms of their reputation as being "party" schools. The writer maintains that as a result, alcohol and drug use are an ever present force in college students' lives. The writer discusses that even though the presence of drugs on campuses might be a constant, the manner in which they are present is inconsistent. The trends that are seen in student drug use can lead to policy changes, both on and off campus. This paper is used to examine some of these trends, as well as the policy changes that might have resulted from them.

From the Paper:

"This trend seems to be consistent on a national basis among college athletes. A report on Infofacts states that a study run in 2001 indicated that 81% of student athletes used alcohol in the preceding year. This figure had dropped from the 89% that had been reported in 1989. The percentage of student athletes abusing alcohol was almost twice that of students in the general population. Interestingly, this trend seems to be contradicted in Williams which indicates that student athletes report less frequent drug and alcohol use over their non-athlete peers. It is possible that these results are due more to the National Collegiate Athletic Association's drug testing policies, however, rather than from any voluntary trend of use. It is also possible that this trend is a result of under reporting the use of drugs and alcohol."

Sample of Sources Used:

• CBS News. (2002). End of top party school's ranking?: Critics want Princeton Review to end the list. Retrieved 5 Sept 2007 from http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/08/26/earlyshow/living/parenting/main519804.shtml
• Dowdall, G. W., & Wechsler, H. (2002). Journal of Studies on Alcohol, Supplement 14: 14-22. Retrieved 5 Sept 2007 from http://www.collegedrinkingprevention.gov/media/Journal/014-Dowdall&Wechsler.pdf
• Hildebrand, K. M., Johnson, D. J., and Bogle, K. (2001). Comparison of patterns of alcohol use between high school and college athletes and non-athletes. College Student Journal. Retrieved 6 Sept 2007 from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FCR/is_3_35/ai_80744648/pg_5
• Infofacts (n. d.). Infofacts resources: College athletes and alcohol and other drug use. Retrieved 5 Sept 2007 from http://www.higheredcenter.org/pubs/factsheets/fact_sheet3.html
• Johnston, L. D., O'Malley, P. M., Bachman, J. G., & Schulenberg, J. E. (2006). Monitoring the future: National Results on adolescent drug use. Overview of Key Findings: 2006. National Institutes of Health. Retrieved 6 Sept 2007 from http://www.monitoringthefuture.org/pubs/monographs/overview2006.pdf

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