Students Speak | The Haze of Navigating Substance Use
“I was hesitant about it, but my friends had already tried it and I decided it wouldn’t be a huge deal. To be honest, I didn’t consider the effect mixing it with alcohol might have or if I should test it. I was with friends I trusted,” describes a junior at The University of Southern California navigating their first time being offered MDMA.
Similarly, a freshman new to college recounts their first experience with cocaine during their first semester in college. “Someone pulled me into the bathroom at a nightclub and told me they were teaching me how to see if it’s bad coke, and that it’s ‘trustworthy’ if it comes in a glass vial.”
Both of these students expressed they wished they knew more, citing the lack of educational information available to them and resorting to confusing Google searches for answers. These are not isolated experiences on college campuses. Transitional life phases, an overestimated sense of peers doing drugs, and a low perception of harm typically lead to substance use among college students.
From non-profit Team Awareness Combating Overdose’s (TACO) social media data, the nationwide demand for drug education by college students is growing. Posts about Xanax reached 6,985 accounts, cocaine reached 8,672, and MDMA reached 10,853 accounts. Posts focused on Narcan (naloxone) and fentanyl education reached 17,017 accounts and those discussing polysubstance use reached 28,496 accounts.
Gaps in effective drug education on college campuses allow peer influence to play an overweighted role in student decision making around substance use at present. College students are unprotected and unprepared for the day that a drug is offered to them, despite a desire for standardized education around the inevitable.
The repercussions of insufficient information extend beyond personal health. The potential for overdose and addiction can lead to the loss of a community member, and with nearly 45% of college students trying an illicit drug each school year, this risk to your university is tragically realistic. Feelings of absence and grief for a loved one can last 16 months - nearly half of someone’s college experience - impacting identity, academic performance, psychological and physical health, and future professional engagement for students.
Your students could be experimenting with little to no knowledge of what their risks are. If you are interested in chatting with the DopaGE team about our insights into the reality of a college student’s relationship with drugs, let’s talk about implementing protective measures.