Anyone who has walked through Wriston Quadrangle on a Saturday night would not be surprised that a recent Herald poll found that over three-fourths of undergraduates had consumed alcohol in the past month and that over 80 percent reported using some substance.
Of the students polled, 77.8 percent responded that they had used alcohol, 32.5 percent had used marijuana and 17.6 percent had used tobacco. 17.9 percent of respondents said they had not used any substances.
The Herald poll was conducted from Nov. 5-7 and has a 3.9 percent margin of error with 95 percent confidence. A total of 621 Brown undergraduates completed the poll, which was administered as a written questionnaire to students in the University Post Office at Faunce House and in the Sciences Library.
Neither Director of Health Education Frances Mantak or Kathleen McSharry, associate dean of the College and dean for issues of chemical dependency, were fazed by these results.
Mantak said the results of the Herald poll are, for the most part, consistent with data she has seen from other surveys.
"From my experience, Brown is not incredibly different from the rest of the student population in the country," she said.
Mantak said she was surprised by the high prevalence of marijuana use because she has seen other research that indicated the number was closer to 25 percent, and tobacco usage was closer to 30 percent. She said the numbers may have differed because students who took the Herald poll may not have been comfortable honestly answering questions about substance use in a poll administered by their peers.
"Because the survey was face-to-face with a peer, we have to look at how that affects peoples' reactions," Mantak said. She added that people are more likely to experiment with marijuana during college than when they are older.
Though McSharry was also surprised by the high reported marijuana usage, she said the other reported rates of substance use met her expectations.
Use of other drugs was reported less commonly among students: 2.3 percent reported that they had used cocaine, 2.1 percent had used amphetamines, 1.8 percent had taken prescription painkillers not prescribed to them, 1.8 percent had used psychedelic mushrooms, 1.3 percent had taken LSD, 1.0 percent had taken ecstasy (MDMA), 0.3 had used nitrous oxide and 0.2 had used heroin.
Students, like administrators, were not surprised by the rates of drug usage found by the Herald poll. Cory McAlister '09, president of Students for Sensible Drug Policy, said he felt the numbers reflect the general population well.
The University's policies on drugs are reasonable, McAlister said, and Brown relies on students using substances responsibly. "I think the majority of Brown students who use drugs use them safely and use them responsibly, and I think that Brown's policies support that," he said.
"Moderate alcohol consumption can be a safe thing from the health aspect," Mantak said.
The University looks out for the safety of the student before punishing substance use, and such a policy is conducive to safer drug use, McAlister said. "Health Services gives amnesty to students who come in if they are overdosing or experiencing a bad psychedelic trip and gives them treatment, so the health and safety of the student really comes first," he said.
While almost four-fifths of undergraduates polled reported using some substance, 17.9 percent said they had not used any.
Putzer Hung '10 said while he does not use any suabstances, he doesn't have a problem with students who do, as long as they are not disruptive to others. For example, he said, students under the influence of drugs or alcohol who set off fire alarms in buildings are very disruptive.
Dan Velazquez '10, another student who said he does not use substances, had a similar reaction. "If people use (drugs or alcohol) and are responsible about it and don't excessively get drunk or overdose or anything, then I tolerate people with their decisions to use any sort of substance they may want to take," he said.
While he does not usually hang around people who are under the influence, Velazquez said, "I've occasionally seen people who are intoxicated - it's awkward to me. That's probably the reason why I avoid it."
