The cultural accommodation of licit and illicit drugs amongst university students By Dr David Patton
Jun 21, 2015
The cultural accommodation of licit and illicit drugs amongst university students
By Dr David Patton
Bennett & Holloway (2014) state “ relatively little is Known about misuse of drugs amongst university students”
Webb et al (1996) 59% lifetime drug prevalence rate
Bennett & Holloway (2014) 41% lifetime prevalence rate
Newbury-Birch et al (2001) 66% lifetime cannabis prevalence rate
Makhoul et al (1998) between 20 – 25% of students were regular cannabis users
Sample
Sressed Happy/enjoy Anxious Worried0
50100
Felt Recently About Course
N =
51% of students had a job
And would work 15 hours in a typical average week
F 62% | M 38%
UG | 91% PG | 9%Reasons for MissingUniversity Sessions
1. Illness (57%)2. Catching up with work
(43%)3. Hangover (35%) (Drug ‘hangover’ – 11%)
Traditional
Study' drugs
New Psychoactive
Any drug
56
41
24
56
45
10
15
45
29
8
8
31
Drug Prevalence Rates
Last Month Last 12 months Lifetime1 in 4 are current drug users
Fun/P
leasure
Stress
Relief
Enhance
0
10
20
30
40
50 4741
35
Reason for Consumption
Drugs of Choice
Traditional1. Cannabis (53%)2. Ecstasy (32%)3. Cocaine (26%)
Study Drugs4. Modifinil (5%)5. Adderall (3%)6. Ritalin (2%)
New Psychoactive Substances7. Ketamine (20%)8. Methedrone (12%)9. GBL (3%)
Drug Prevalence
3rd year students had highest levels Of lifetime drug prevalence rates
02040
Average Age of First Use
Drug Prevalence
14Alcohol & Tobacco
17 Traditional drugs 19 New Psychoactive drugs
20 Study drugs
Of students had tried 2 or more drugs during the course of 1 drug episode
“To have a bangin night!”
Alcohol + Tobacco + Ecstasy + Cocaine
Alcohol + AMT (Alpha-methyltryptamine) + Cannabis + Salvia +Tobacco
2cb + LSD+ MDMA + Ketamine + Nitrous Oxide + Cannabis + Alcohol
Poly Drug Consumption
“I’ve done every combination at some point”
Very/easy to get drugs I want
or given drugs to another
% of students have
Drug Availability
“Very readily available; friends selling it. Cheap”
“My friend can get any she wants. Knows the right people”
“Weed is easiest to get, people handing out numbers in the street, but some dealers don't drop off after midnight”
“Can get Coke, MDMA, MKAT and Cannabis within an hour”
Drug Availability
“I have been approached on the street more than twice by dealers, who at some points have even offered business cards and lighters with their numbers on!”
“Other than LSD, I haven't found it hard to access drugs especially if I want to buy legal highs which are readily available on the internet and can have next day delivery by royal mail…
…Online drugs are incredibly cheap. Some websites have reward systems so if you buy a certain amount over a certain period you earn points which lower the price of future orders. This is my main reason for not buying cocaine - it is expensive and I can find drugs online that are cheaper, legal and have the same effect.”
Drug Availability
Drug WiseTop 3 sources
students go for information about drugs & their effects
1. The internet 2. Friends 3. Housemates
75% of students said they were very/knowledgeable about drugs
Close friends who use drugs
Said that they had no problem with others using drugs
65% of students said they feel very/comfortable when drug consumption is featured in the media they consume
Cultural Accommodation