What Are The Recent Drug Use in College Students Statistics?

College Drug Use Statistics

The following comes from the 2021 Monitoring The Future National Survey Results On Drug Use:

• Opioid use among college students in the past 12 months is 0.1% for heroin and 0.9% for other narcotics
• 9.1% of college students have used hallucinogens like LSD in the past 12 months
• 0.3% of college students have used methamphetamines in the past 12 months
• 0.9% of college students have used barbiturates in the past 12 months
• 1.7% of college students have used tranquilizers in the past 12 months
• 3.9 % of college students have used cocaine in the past 12 months
• 14.6% of college students have used drugs other than marijuana in the past 12 months

In 2021, college students had a lower substance use percentage than non-college students. However, college students had a much higher prevalence of binge drinking in the past 12 months.

College Alcohol Abuse Statistics

According to the NIAAA, binge drinking is defined as consuming five drinks or more on one occasion for men and four drinks or more for women. 

• 76.4% of college students have drunk alcohol in the past 12 months
• 59.6% of full-time college students drank alcohol in the past month
• 10.5% of college students have reported high-intensity drinking in the past 2 weeks
• 38% report having been drunk within the past month
• 30.4% of college students binge drink
• 1 in 5 women experience sexual assault in college, and many of these cases involve alcohol
• Dating someone who abuses alcohol increases your likelihood of sexual assault

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) estimates that about 1,519 college students aged 18 to 24 die from alcohol-related unintentional injuries, including motor vehicle crashes.⁸ Alcohol-related deaths number over 80,000 annually, making them the third-highest preventable cause of death in the United States. 

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College Marijuana Use Statistics

Over the past 10 years, there has been an increase in marijuana use among college students. It has increased from 19.4% in 2011 to 24.2% in 2021.

• 40.3% of college students use marijuana
• 5.6% of college students use marijuana daily
• 19.5% of college students have vaped marijuana
• The prevalence of marijuana use in college students has decreased during the pandemic¹¹

Marijuana use is equally prevalent among college students and their non-college peers.

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College Vaping and Cigarette Use Statistics

• In 2021, 28% of college students vaped in the past 12 months
• 16.6% of college students have smoked cigarettes in the past 12 months
• 0.9% of college students smoked daily
• 0.6% of college students smoked half a pack or more daily

There has been a very large decrease in cigarette smoking among college students in the past 5 to 10 years. However, in 2021 there was a non-significant increase in smoking among college students in the past 30 days; 4.1% in 2020 to 5.9% in 2021.

Adderall & Other Study Drug Abuse in College Statistics

• 5.2% of college students have used amphetamines without a doctor’s prescription in the past 12 months
• 4.3% of college students have used Adderall without medical supervision in the past 12 months
• 1.7% of college students have used Ritalin for non-medicinal use in the past 12 months

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Substance Abuse Among College Students

It’s no secret that binge drinking and illegal drug use are huge problems on campuses nationwide. College students have made up a significant percentage of substance abusers for decades.

Long-term substance abuse can eventually lead to a substance use disorder. To help keep students safe, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) performs a yearly survey called “Monitoring the Future.”²

This survey identifies substance use trends in college and non-college students aged 19-22. SAMHSA also performs a National Survey on Drug Use and Health every year.

Statistic Sources

The statistics in this article have been compiled from numerous alcohol resources available online. These include:

• National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)

The CDC and the NIAAA often use these statistics for their studies and findings on substance abuse. This can help them identify significant substance use problems and educate students to keep them safe.

Commonly Abused Substances

Several substances are widely used on American campuses. These substances include:

• Alcohol
• Marijuana
• Nicotine vaping
• Steroids
• Stimulants (cocaine, Adderal, Ritalin, etc.)
• Opioids (Vicodin, OxyContin, Percocet, etc.)

Side Effects of Substance Abuse in College

Substance abuse on college campuses has continuously led to:

• Poor academic performance
• Significant cases of sexual misconduct
• Problems with addiction later in life
• Social problems with friendships, relationships, and family
• An overwhelming number of deaths among students

Why Do College Students Abuse Substances?

Various reasons could cause a college student to abuse drugs or alcohol. These include:

• Peer pressure
• Social anxiety
• Curiosity
• Stress relief
• Self-medication
• Enhancing academic or athletic performance

College Drug Use Treatment Options

The main problem with finding treatment for college students is that they rarely seek help independently. Many colleges have taken initiatives to increase recovery options for their students. However, the number of students seeking treatment hasn’t significantly increased. 

The good news is that there are several options available to students. These include:

• Peer support groups: These provide much-needed community support to help maintain sobriety after treatment
• 12-step recovery programs: A support group designed to help guide you through the recovery process and maintain sobriety
• Outpatient treatment: A treatment program where people are freely allowed to leave the rehab facility
• Partial hospitalization programs: A treatment program where you stay at a rehab facility for a day and return home at night
• Inpatient programs: Involves checking yourself into a rehab facility for 24-hour medical supervision 

Preventative measures like educational programs can help students stay safe and healthy.

Summary

College substance abuse statistics help researchers identify substance use patterns. This can help them educate and guide college students to keep them safe.

Substance abuse in college can lead to problems in a student’s school and personal life. It may even lead to long-term substance abuse problems.

Various online resources are available to help college students, teachers, and families understand SUD. Fortunately, there are treatment programs that can help you if you develop a SUD.

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