Resources for College Students

Regardless of why college-age adults use drugs or alcohol, the consequences of substance abuse can be grim. These resources can answer questions and get you or your loved one help.

Substance abuse in college students isincreasingly commonbut highly dangerous. Substance abuse permeates almost every aspect of thecollege experience. College students use drugs andalcoholfor a variety of reasons. Some young adults may usestimulant drugsto study, while others may overindulge in alcohol on the weekends.Student athletesmay misuse steroids or prescription drugs to improve performance. Students involved inGreek lifemay be more prone to substance abuse as well. Regardless of why college-age adults use drugs or alcohol, the consequences of substance abuse can be grim.

College Students and Drug Abuse

Bothfemale and male college-age adultsmisuse prescription medications, illicit drugs and alcohol forvarious reasons, including to cope with stress, improve their focus, relieve pain or have fun. However, college substance abuse can negatively affect a person’s mental and physical health, by increasing their risk of:

• Impairing brain activity, potentially causing brain damage
• Experiencing amental illness
• Developing analcohol use disorder
• Developing adrug use disorder

Facts and Statistics on College Drug Abuse

According to data from theSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), drug and alcohol use among college students is a problematic trend at universities across the country. Statistics measuring drug abuse in college students show that illicit and prescription drug use is on the rise among college-age individuals.

College Drug Use Statistics

Results from the most recentNational Survey on Drug Use and Healthrevealed that college-age (ages 18–25) adults engaged in many different types of substance use in 2018. Among individuals in this age group:

• Nearly 1 in 5 young adults smoked cigarettes
• Almost 55% of young adults drank alcohol, and almost 35% of them binge drank regularly
• An estimated 5.5% of college-age people misused pain-relieving drugs
• Almost 1.9 million young adults misused opioids
• Approximately 39% of young adults used illicit drugs
• More than 6 million young adults met the criteria for a substance use disorder

What Drugs Are College Students Abusing?

According torecent datafrom the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the majority of college students who misuse drugs choose prescription drugs like Adderall, drink alcohol, use nicotine and ingest illicit substances like marijuana. Some students misuse multiple substances simultaneously and maymix prescription drugs and alcoholorsmoke marijuanawhile drinking.

Marijuana

Cannabis, commonly called marijuana or weed, is one of the most widely-used drugs on college campuses across America. College students often smoke this drug or incorporate cannabis extracts intoedibles, or baked goods and candy. Marijuana can produce a euphoric high, and different strains of the drug have psychoactive and hallucinogenic properties. Facts about marijuana use during college include:

• In 2018,almost 43%of college students used marijuana in the last year, an increase of 7% over the last five years
• Among college students aged 19–22,5.9%used marijuana daily or near daily. That percentage almost doubled to11.1%among young adults who were college-age but not attending college.
• Vaping marijuana has become increasingly popular as well. Between 2017 and 2018, past month marijuana vaping doubled from5.2% to 10.9%of college students.

Although marijuana may not be as dangerous as some illicit drugs, occasional marijuana use (likesmoking on April 20) can become problematic and canworsen a student’s anxiety. Continuous use of this drug can lead to addiction. To get help for a marijuana use disorder, call the toll-free and confidentialmarijuana hotline.

Cocaine

Cocaineis a popular party drug on many college campuses, but therisks associated with cocaineuse are not worth its energizing effects. College students may choose to snort orinjectthe white powdered drug, or smokecrack cocaine, to have increased energy or to feel more productive. Cocaine on its own can be extremely dangerous, but it can be deadly if mixed with other drugs that are common on college campuses, likeAdderallormarijuana.

According to 2018 data, statistics on cocaine use among college-age (ages 18–25) adults included:

• An estimated616,000young adults used cocaine for the first time
• Approximately2 million young adultsused cocaine and87,000used crack cocaine in the last year
• Almost212,000young adults who had a cocaine use disorder

Cocaine candamage a person’s physical and mental healthand even affect theirfuture employment. Given these long-lasting consequences,cocaine addiction treatmentmay be life-saving for someone who struggles with this disease.

Study Aids

To increase their ability to concentrate, college students frequently misuse prescription stimulants, most of which are amphetamine drugs. Drugs likeAdderallandRitalinare often prescribed to manage hyperactivity disorders, severe depression and sleep disturbances. However, manystudents use these substances as study aids, which is illegal without a prescription and potentially harmful.

Because stimulant pills can temporarily promote wakefulness and boost a person’s ability to focus, stimulants are popular choices among college students.Using Adderall to studyis an increasingly common phenomenon on college campuses, and all manner of stimulant drugs are used by students who want to want to study longer, faster or more intently than they normally do.

Stimulants that are frequently used asstudy aidsinclude:

• Adderall
• Concerta
• Ritalin
• Modafinil(brand nameProvigil)

These and other stimulants are commonly misused among young adults (ages 18–25). In fact, in 2018, almost2.2 million young adultsmisused stimulant drugs.

Stimulant use disorders involving study-aid drugs may require professional treatment. To learn more, call The Recovery Villageamphetamine hotlineto speak with someone who can help.

Ecstasy

The drug MDMA, which is commonly calledecstasyor molly, is an illicit stimulant drug. Ecstasy tablets and pills are psychoactive drugs that activate a release of serotonin in the brain, which boosts feelings of happiness and excitement and can heighten a person’s emotional sensitivity. Although ecstasy is not seen as a dangerousclub drugamong college students, its use can lead to a substance use disorder.

To learn more about how college students use stimulants like ecstasy, read The Recovery Village’s resource pages regarding:

• Ecstasy addiction stories
• Mixing ecstasy and alcohol
• Signs of ecstasy use and addiction
• Ecstasy overdose

Representatives on The Recovery Village’secstasy hotlineare available to answer questions about ecstasy use and rehab options.

Xanax

Xanaxis a popular type ofbenzodiazepinepill which may be prescribed to relieve symptoms of anxiety and panic disorders. Xanax works to create a sense of calm and sedation in the body, slowing down a person’s heart rate and breathing. College students may take Xanax to cope with overwhelming stress or anxiety, but this benzodiazepine is highly addictive, and continued use can lead to a Xanax use disorder.

College students and their loved ones can learn more about Xanax use and addiction through resources from The Recovery Village, including:

• How to tell if someone is using Xanax
• How Xanax affects the body
• Xanax and depression
• Mixing Xanax and alcohol

Additionally, to locate effective treatment programs for Xanax addiction, college students can call The Recovery Village’sXanax hotline.

College Students and Alcohol Abuse

Drinking alcohol and getting drunk are almost synonymous with American college culture. However,excessive alcohol use in collegecan have serious consequences for the students who drink, and everyone around them.

Alcohol abuse facts associated with drinking in college include:

• Almost1 in 4 studentsreport academic repercussions from drinking, including missing classes and receiving poor grades
• Studies show that each year,1,825 college studentsdie from alcohol-related injuries
• Approximately696,000 studentsare assaulted by a drunken peer each year
• An estimated3.4 millioncollege-age (ages 18–25) adults met the criteria for an alcohol use disorder in 2018. This figure represents 10% of all young adults.

Problematic alcohol use in college, like heavy drinking and binge drinking, can mean short-term ailments and long-termnegative health effects, including the development of an alcohol use disorder, which may require professional treatment to heal from.

Binge Drinking

Many people, including college students, may misunderstand the difference between normal drinking behaviors andbinge drinking. A straightforward binge drinking definition differs for women and men. For women, binge drinking means consuming four or more standard drinks within two hours. For men, having five or more drinks in two hours is considered binge drinking.

Among college-age adults, or people between the ages of 18 and 25, binge drinking is a common issue. Students may binge drink at parties, sporting events and on holidays likeSt. Patrick’s Day. However, this behavior can have immediate repercussions, like bodily injury from a car crash, and long-term consequences, likeliver diseaseand alcohol addiction.

College Students and Mental Health

College can be a stressful and anxiety-inducing time for young adults, and sadly, mental health issues are common among students. In 2017, an estimated8.8 millionyoung adults ages 18–25 struggled with a mental health disorder. Some of these psychological conditions that college students struggle with includeanxiety disorder,major depressive disorderandeating disorders.

Anxiety

The single most common mental health condition in America, anxiety disorders affect almost40 million adultseach year, including college students. On college campuses, between more than60%of students reported feeling overwhelming anxiety anxiety as they face stressful classes and social pressures. This condition is characterized by mental and physical side effects like racing thoughts, panic attacks, difficulty sleeping and an inability to concentrate. However, anxiety can be managed at any age, and there are a variety of helpful resources to do so, including ananxiety crisis kit.

Depression

Major depressive disorder is an extremely common mental health condition in America, and depressioncontributes to numerous suicide deaths among celebritieseach year. This condition affects more than17 millionadults each year. Among college-age adults, approximately4.6 millionadults struggled with a major depressive episode in 2018.

For people who face a major depressive episode, daily activities can be overwhelming. Changes in mood and behavior can impair their ability to study, work or maintain their regular responsibilities. Given the often stressful environment of college and the prevalence of major depressive disorder, it’s important for college students to bescreened for depressionand to be vigilant ofdepression symptoms in people they love.

Eating Disorders

According to research from 2016,eating disordersare responsible for the death of one personevery 62 minutesin America. This figure accounts for eating disorders in college students, which can include anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder. These conditions are not only widespread, but are alsocommonly misunderstoodand dismissed as not serious.

Eating disorders can be mentally and physically devastating, and college students should be aware of the signs and symptoms of common eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia. Although they are harmful diseases, eating disorders are highly treatable.Eating disorder treatmentis offered at several locations of The Recovery Village, and representatives on theeating disorder hotlineare available to answer questions and guide people toward effective rehab programs.

Preventing Substance Abuse in College

Inpreparing for college, few students plan for how they’ll handle drug or alcohol use, but this kind of planning may be necessary, given the rise of substance use disorders among college students.

Many universities aim to help young adults lower their risk of developing substance use disorders through substance abuse prevention programs for college students. These programs may focus on maintaining physical and mental health despite the challenges of college life, adopting healthy coping mechanisms, getting involved in campus activities and forming healthy friendships. Substance abuse prevention tactics for college students can include:

• Getting involved in on-campus events
• Joining a team sport
• Forming healthy friendships
• Befriendingsober students
• Engage inactivities that don’t involve substance use

Treatment Options for Students

If you struggle with a substance use disorder, there are a variety of drug and alcohol programs for college students, includingcomprehensive treatment programsoffered through The Recovery Village.

However, before you enroll in treatment, speak with a counselor or medical professional to discuss your situation.

• Speak with campus health center physicians: Substance use disorders deserve medical attention. If you do not have a primary care physician, make an appointment.
• Take advantage of on-campus mental health counseling: Many colleges offer free counseling and psychological services for students. Given that counseling sessions at private practices can be expensive, it’s worthwhile to check if your university offers free or discounted therapy options.
• Talk with a trained counselor on a hotline: Mostnational drug abuse hotlinesare toll-free, confidential and available during the day and night. Representatives on these hotlines can answer your questions about substance abuse and may be able to guide you toward affordable treatment options.
• Find local chapters of national support groups: Groups like Narcotics Anonymous or Alcoholics Anonymous are open to anyone who wants to stop using drugs or alcohol. In these group meetings, participants offer advice and support to each other.

When you’re ready to begin treatment, you can find drug and alcohol programs for college students in several ways.

• Use the SAMHSA treatment services locator: With this interactive map, you can narrow down rehab facilities by city, programs offered and specific treatments available.
• Call The Recovery Village: If you struggle with addiction, professional treatment can empower you to maintain long-term healing. The Recovery Village offers a variety of drug and alcohol programs for college students and adults alike. Rehab programs range from medical drug and alcohol detox to inpatient and outpatient care to help you overcome addiction. Additionally, individual and group therapy for co-occurring mental health conditions is included in each program at every facility across the country.