OFFICE OF NATIONAL DRUG CONTROL POLICY

The Challenge in Higher Education

Substance Abuse on Campus

Confronting and Reducing
The Challenge
 in Higher Education

Confronting and Reducing

Substance Abuse on Campus

OFFICE OF NA TIONAL DRUG CONTROL POLICY

APRIL 2004
Table of Contents

FOREWORD

Director John P. Walters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

INTRODUCTION

The Challenge Before You . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

New Thrills, New Threats. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

A Guide for Administrators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

SCOPE OF THE DRUG PROBLEM

The Lure—and the Trap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Drugs and Your Institution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

The Path to Addiction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Drugs on Campus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

FACING THE  CHALLENGE

Get the Full Picture. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Law and Leadership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Support from the Top . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

A Policy with a Punch. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Building a Program that Works. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Remember Those in Recovery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Work with the Community . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Harnessing the Power of Perceptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

CASE STUDIES

Partners in Prevention . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

A Place of Their Own . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

A Dose of Reality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
 

An Infusion of Drug Awareness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

CONCLUSION

The Rewards of Success . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Resources. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Guide to Common Campus Drugs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

THE CHALLENGE IN HIGHER EDUCA TION   3

Foreword

Illegal drugs have no place in our society, least of all at institutions dedicated to improving the minds of our young people. And yet, drug use is 

a serious problem on many college campuses. Recognizing the urgent

need to confront this threat, the Office of National Drug Control Policy

is reaching out to colleges and universities and seeking their support in

the fight against illegal drugs.

As Director of the ONDCP, I have traveled

to institutions of higher education around the

country, talking to officials and students about

their methods for ridding their campuses of

drugs. Theirs is a difficult, frustrating, and

sometimes confusing task. And yet I have

been impressed by their dedication and

encouraged by the innovative approaches

many of these institutions have developed to

keep the drug threat at bay. Some of their

prevention strategies are described in this John P. Walters

booklet.

Although we have made great strides and scored some important victories

in the effort to control drug use in America, we have a considerable way

to go. Illegal drugs are still damaging the minds and bodies of our young

people, and the drug culture remains a powerful influence on campuses

from coast to coast. For the sake of our youth and our country, we can 

do better.

Research has shown that drug use impairs memory and brain functioning.

Obviously, drug use by students creates a major obstacle to academic 

performance. Not only do drugs disrupt the learning environment, they

also interfere with normal social interaction and the formation of new

relationships, activities that are integral to the college experience.

THE CHALLENGE IN HIGHER EDUCATION   5
FOREWORD

On many of our campuses, students can pick and choose from an assortment of mind­altering substances—marijuana, MDMA (Ecstasy), GHB,

Rohypnol, heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine, among others—all

readily available and easy to obtain. To be sure, alcohol abuse is an enormous problem facing colleges and universities today. But no less disturbing is the increasing use of other harmful substances. More than half of

today’s college students have at least tried an illegal drug at some point in

their lives, and for most of them the drug of choice, on campus or off, is

marijuana.

Often regarded as harmless, marijuana poses a greater danger than many

realize. More young people are in treatment for marijuana dependency

than for alcohol and for all other illegal drugs combined. Marijuana users

are four times more likely to report symptoms of depression and have

more suicidal thoughts than those who never used the drug. Clearly, any

substance this harmful has no place at an institution of higher learning.

The President's 2002 Drug Control Strategy called for a ten­percent

reduction in youth drug use within two years and a 25­percent decline in

five years. This was not just wishful thinking. A recent survey showing an

11­percent drop between 2001 and 2003 in teenagers’ use of illicit drugs

is proof that, by pushing back, we can reduce the drug problem. But we

must continue working hard and looking for ways to stop drug use before

it starts. We must also intervene early to encourage users who are not yet

dependent to quit now, before they become caught in the devastating

cycle of addiction.

Thanks to scientific advances and new treatment methods, we are able to

reach a variety of populations and deliver assistance faster and more effectively than ever before. It is essential that we extend that reach to college

students, who, though they are no longer children, have arguably not yet

reached full maturity. We must respect and at the same time protect them

from actions and substances that will do them harm. They are, after all,

6 THE CHALLENGE IN HIGHER EDUCATION
FOREWORD

the future leaders of our country, the young men and women who will set

the norms and establish behavior patterns for the next generation.

Institutions of higher education play an enormous role in shaping minds

and building character, and with this role comes a responsibility to provide a drug­free environment for its students. Campuses unencumbered

by drugs are safer, cleaner, and more intellectually stimulating. They are

also more likely to attract prospective students and inspire confidence

among alumni. Along with a moral obligation, colleges and universities

that receive government funding also have a responsibility under the law.

They must pay heed to Federal regulations that link effective drug prevention programs to financial assistance.

Please join me in addressing this important issue on your campus.

Stopping student drug use will not only boost academic achievement 

and the quality of life for students today, it will bring huge dividends

tomorrow in terms of career advancement and personal satisfaction. If

every college does its part to get illegal drugs off campus, we can deliver a

serious blow to one of the biggest threats facing young people today.

Without the distraction of drugs and the damage they inflict, young

adults in college can spend more time doing what they came to do—

learn, make friends, and build a healthy foundation for the future. The

college years are a precious time in a young person’s life. It is imperative

that we do everything in our power to keep them that way.

John P. Walters

Director

Office of National Drug Control Policy

THE CHALLENGE IN HIGHER EDUCATION   7

Introduction

The Challenge Before You

Large or small, urban or rural, commuter or residential, technical or 

liberal arts, every college and university in America is committed to 

providing an experience that allows students to rise to their full potential.

As a key member of the higher education community, you work hard to

make the learning experience a positive one. Naturally, you strive 

for excellence. You want your institution to turn out the best and the

brightest, the nation’s next generation of leaders.

That challenge is reflected in the

face of every student on your  The rewards of your efforts campus. For these young men and are immense.

women, the college years are a  And so too is the challenge. period of growth and transition.

They are a time for examining

beliefs and developing new points

of view, a time for reflection and discovery.

Your challenge as a college or university administrator is to promote that

richness of experience and at the same time eliminate obstacles in each

student’s path to success. Parents expect the university or college not only

to provide intellectual opportunities for their sons and daughters, but also

to protect them from harm. From the beginning, the institution enters

into a covenant with students and their parents. The understanding is

that the exploration of new ideas will occur under conditions flexible

enough to allow for discovery, but with sufficient controls to ensure a reasonable measure of safety.

THE CHALLENGE IN HIGHER EDUCATION   9
INTRODUCTION

New Thrills, New Threats

For some students, college is a time to experiment not only with new ideas,

but with new thrills, including alcohol and drugs. Alcohol abuse in college

is well documented. The latest results from Monitoring the Future, an

ongoing national survey of behaviors, attitudes, and values among young

people, indicate that more than more than two­thirds (68.9 percent) of 

college students are current drinkers—that is, they have had one or more

alcoholic drinks in the previous 30 days. Not all of them are problem

drinkers, of course. Still, a large number of students (40.1 percent) say they

consumed 5 or more drinks in a row on at least one occasion within the

previous two weeks. With this high rate of alcohol consumption come clear

consequences. As reported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and

Alcoholism, some 1,400 people age 18 to 24 die each year from injuries

suffered in alcohol­related accidents, including motor vehicle crashes.

Equally troubling is the widespread use of illicit drugs on campus. In the

2002 Monitoring the Future survey, more than a third (37 percent) of

college students reported they had used illegal drugs in the past year, and

nearly a quarter of them (21.5 percent) reported having done so within

the past month. A decade earlier, by contrast, just over 16 percent had

reported past­month drug use. Another important report, the 2002

National Survey on Drug Use and Health, showed that well over half

(59.8 percent) of all 18­ to 25­year­olds have used, or at least tried, an

illegal drug at some time during their lives.

For too many young people, casual experimentation with drugs turns to

addiction. Even for nondependent users, drug use creates a barrier to

achievement that can be extremely difficult to overcome, even life­threatening. Drug­using dropouts are a blot on the institution’s reputation and

a disappointment to their families, their friends, and to themselves. Users

who manage to graduate often find they are unable to compete for the

best jobs, and the treatment needs of those who are addicted can strain

family and community resources.

10 THE CHALLENGE IN HIGHER EDUCATION
INTRODUCTION

Although some people look at illegal drug use as a natural phase or a

youthful rite of passage, the hard reality is that drugs can destroy lives and

undermine a school's best efforts to educate and protect. College officials

must understand how drug use on their campuses—even by those who

show no outward signs of harmful consequences—can interfere with students' mental, social, and emotional growth.

A Guide for Administrators

The Office of National Drug Control Policy has put together this guide

to give administrators at institutions of higher education a basic understanding of illegal drug use among the college population and to urge

their support in ridding campuses of this threat. Along with an overview

of the problem, the booklet explains the risks associated with drug use

when left unchecked, and why it is important to discourage all drug use

by students.

Case studies appearing throughout the booklet describe the innovative

approaches some schools have developed to combat drug use.

The purpose of these examples is to illustrate the variety of strategies 

available to colleges and universities hoping to develop or refine programs

of their own.

The booklet offers useful advice as well, with suggestions on how 

to assess the drug problem at your institution and what you can do 

about it. In the back is a Guide to Common Campus Drugs, featuring

photographs of problem drugs and related paraphernalia, as well as a list

of resources to help you keep your campus drug free.

THE CHALLENGE IN HIGHER EDUCATION  11

Scope of the Drug Problem
 

The Lure—and the Trap

People start using drugs for any number of reasons. Some give in to 

pressure from drug­using friends and acquaintances. Others get involved 

simply for the thrill of it, or because they have been led to believe drugs

are the path to enlightenment.

Whatever the reason, common to all their experiences is the undeniable

fact that drug use brings pleasure—at least initially. No one takes drugs

with the goal of becoming an addict. Rather, they do so because the

chemically induced changes in the brain make them feel better. Altering

the brain, however, can be hazardous to your health.

Everyone has heard stories about death by heroin or cocaine overdose.

But even the so­called club drugs, including MDMA (Ecstasy), have

been known to kill, sometimes on the first

use. Certain club drugs, notably GHB and

Rohypnol, have been dubbed “date rape”

drugs because they are sometimes used in Drug use brings 

the commission of sexual assault. Colorless pleasure—at first. 

and odorless, they can be slipped unnoticed But altering the brain

into a drink. And because the drugs cause a can be hazardous 

temporary amnesia, the unsuspecting victim to your health.

will have no memory of what happened.

THE CHALLENGE IN HIGHER EDUCA TION  13
SCOPE OF THE DRUG PROBLEM

Drugs and Your Institution

Deaths and assaults on campus grab headlines and cast a shadow over the

school. They invite litigation, discourage donors as well as prospective

students, and cause alumni to lose faith in their alma mater. And yet,

drug use on campus does not have to reach crisis proportions to damage

an institution and undermine its mission. Any amount of drug use is

unacceptable, for it can spread and dull

the educational experience for 

all, meanwhile inhibiting the ability 

of the university and its students  Any amount of drug use to perform at their peak. can dull the educational

Drug use can occur on any campus, but experience for all.

it is by no means inevitable. The challenge is to stop it before it gains a

foothold in the campus culture, and it

is up to you to confront this challenge head­on. As a leader of your institution, it is entirely within your power to set standards on your 

campus and create an environment where drug use is not tolerated, and

where learning and growth can take place unimpeded by the roadblocks

of drug use and addiction. Because drugs are a barrier to all that a college

or university aims to do for its students, maintaining a drug­free campus

is vital to achieving your goals.

The Path to Addiction

Drug use starts innocently enough. A nonuser is approached by a user

and persuaded to take a drink, smoke a joint, or pop a pill. Despite some

minor undesirable effects—unpleasant taste or coughing, for example—

the “high” is very pleasurable. When the high wears off, life goes back to

normal, but the experience cannot be unlearned.

As social use continues, the unpleasant effects diminish, although new

ones may appear. A new user may experience a hangover and vow never

14 THE CHALLENGE IN HIGHER EDUCA TION
SCOPE OF THE DRUG PROBLEM

to use again, but the hangover disappears, and life once again returns to

normal. The user is now in the company of friends, the economic costs

are minimal, and he or she is learning how much is too much—all reinforcing the pleasurable aspects of use.

During this phase, drug use does not interfere with the user’s major activities. He or she still attends classes, turns in assignments, and enjoys

social events. It is hard to see drug use as a serious threat to your students’

wellbeing when they show no outward signs of trouble. It is harder still

for drug­using students and their friends to connect their experiences to

the horror of addiction or their actions to any potential risk. They’re

smart, and they think they know what they are doing.

And yet, in too many cases, a line is eventually crossed. A given amount

of drug brings less pleasure than before, so the users increase the dose or

the frequency of use. They make bad decisions, such as driving while

intoxicated or having sex with strangers, thereby disappointing others and

themselves. The consequences of

their drug use become more severe,

possibly including failure in their

classes. They start to dislike them­ It can be hard for 

selves and how they feel when not drug­using students to

high. Now they may use drugs not to connect their experiences

get high, but just to feel normal. to the horror of addiction.

The majority of your drug­using 

students will probably experience no

major consequences, possibly leading you to conclude, understandably,

that your institution has no drug problem. Yet you must realize that drug

use, even in the absence of clear signs of harm, must be curtailed on your

campus for two important reasons: The user himself may cross the line

into addiction at some time in the future, and the very lack of visible 

negative consequences lures others into drug use.

THE CHALLENGE IN HIGHER EDUCA TION  15
SCOPE OF THE DRUG PROBLEM

College Station, TX

members to participate in ARCHES

(Advocating Responsible Choices), a

“Advisors and student leaders in several

class students participate as mentors in

nity with supportive older members who

sionable newcomers with experienced

students who can help them separate the

“Students entering college have all seen the

movie Animal House

talk to successful students and see that, no,

Texas A&M University

As part of a broad­based effort to curb

alcohol and drug use on campus, Texas

A&M invites new fraternity and sorority

group mentoring program for the university’s 3,200­member Greek community.

fraternities developed the program as a

way to ensure student ownership and

responsibility in addressing alcohol and

drug use in the college environment,”

says Carolyn Cox, coordinator of First

Year Programs. To date, nearly 40 upperthe program.

Organized by the Office of Alcohol and

Drug Education Programs in collaboration

with the Office of Greek Life, ARCHES

links new members of the Greek commuabstain from drug use and other high­risk

behavior. The idea is to partner impresmyths from the realities of alcohol and

drug use on campus and, in the process,

sidestep potential hazards.

and think that’s what

college is really like,” says Dennis Reardon,

senior coordinator for Student Life Alcohol

and Drug Education Programs. “Then they

it’s not that way.”

Partners in Prevention

ONE SCHOOL ’S APPROACH

All diseases have one or more target organs, a causative agent, and 

generally a recognized method of spread. Addiction is, primarily, a 

disease of the brain, and the agent of that disease is drugs. Non­dependent users—those who use drugs but are not yet addicted—are “carriers”

who spread the disease of addiction to others, and who may themselves

one day become addicted.

Data collected by researchers in Michigan for the Monitoring the Future

Study point to an unsettling trend about rates of drug use in college.

While still in high school, college­bound seniors are less likely to use

illicit drugs than their age­peers who do not go to college. After graduation, however, college students “catch up” and exceed their age­peers in

drug use.

16 THE CHALLENGE IN HIGHER EDUCATION
SCOPE OF THE DRUG PROBLEM

ARCHES aims to do the following:

attitudes and beliefs, and who

choose to make low­risk decisions

about drugs and alcohol. 

with the opportunity to participate

comfortably in a variety of social sitto drink or use other drugs.

heavy drinking. 

organizations. 

Contact:

Student Life Alcohol and Drug 

College Station, TX 77843­1257

Phone: 979­845­0280

E­mail: Dennis@studentlife.tamu.edu

Adep@tamu.edu

• Create a supportive network of

Greek students who share similar

• Provide new and current members

uations without feeling the pressure

• Reduce the misperception that all

Greek students drink or engage in

• Create a social norm within the fraternity and sorority system that

counters the stereotypical image of

men and women involved in Greek

Dr. Dennis Reardon, 

Senior Coordinator

Education Programs

1257 Texas A&M University

The explanation, according to research conducted by the University of

Michigan’s Institute for Social Research, may be rooted in the fact that

college students typically move away from home and remain single. Their

noncollege peers, by contrast, are more inclined to stay in their parents’

home or get married after high school—two behaviors that appear to

have an inhibiting effect on drug use.

Many students come to you with the external controls of family lifted, so

it is incumbent on you to create an atmosphere where drug use is inhibited. Your biggest task will be to stop initiation before it starts to reinforce

a non­drug norm for nonusers. After that, you must encourage those students who have begun using drugs to stop before they experience negative

THE CHALLENGE IN HIGHER EDUCATION  17
SCOPE OF THE DRUG PROBLEM

consequences and before they can recruit others who may themselves

become addicted. This is best accomplished in an environment where

drug use is not tolerated and people do not look the other way.

Drugs on Campus

If we do not make an effort to stop drug use in the college­age population, a group that consistently demonstrates high rates of use, we will be

allowing unnecessary barriers to block these young people from achieving

their full potential. Moreover, society will be forced to bear the health and

social costs of their drug dependence for years to come.

Any drug can show up on any campus at any time (see the Guide to

Common Campus Drugs, page 57). Indeed, it would be naïve to suggest

that so­called hard drugs such as cocaine and heroin are not used by 

college students. Problems with these

drugs in school have been known for

years. Len Bias was an all­America 

basketball star at the University of

Maryland in 1986 when his overdose Any drug can show 

death in his dormitory brought the  up on any campus 

dangers of cocaine abuse to the nation’s at any time.

attention. The drugs that represent the

greatest threat on today’s campuses,

however, are marijuana and club drugs.

MARIJUANA

Of all illicit drugs found on college campuses today, marijuana is by far

the most ubiquitous. Many students and adults take the attitude that

marijuana use by young people is normal—that there is nothing to fear

because “pot” is benign, its effects temporary and harmless.

18 THE CHALLENGE IN HIGHER EDUCATION
SCOPE OF THE DRUG PROBLEM

The purpose of drug testing is not to punish students who use drugs, although consedriving the team van.

Allowing students to pursue self­defeating behaviors such as drug use is to “enable” them to

and to be unemployed—and unemployable.

alcohol.

THE CHALLENGE IN HIGHER EDUCATION  19

Drug Testing: An Ounce of Prevention

The National Drug Control Strategy emphasizes the importance of preventing drug use before

it starts. It is a matter of simple logic that the best way to make sure students do not become

dependent on drugs is to keep them from taking that first puff or swallowing that first pill.

And when it comes to drug use, an ounce of prevention is worth many pounds of cure.

Experimentation with drugs is often the result of peer pressure and curiosity. Most people

who try drugs do not continue to use them. For some, however, simple experimentation is

the first step on the road to addiction. A drug­testing program can be an effective way to

discourage experimentation and stop drug use before it begins.

This deterrence strategy has been demonstrated many times over in schools that enthusiastically support drug testing as a method of prevention. Employers have also found drug 

testing helpful in reducing absenteeism, accidents, and health­care costs. Employers who

have followed the Federal government model for drug testing have seen a 67­percent drop

in positive drug tests just by having testing programs in place.

quences of some sort should be part of any testing program. Consequences may include

suspension from sports activities, loss of financial aid, or loss of special privileges, such as

For students facing peer pressure to do drugs, knowing that a testing program is in place

can provide a good excuse to say no. This policy of refusal will serve them well in years to

come. After all, today’s students are the professionals, craftsmen, educators, and researchers

of tomorrow, and many will need to pass a drug test to get a job or advance in their careers.

continue along a dangerous road to debilitating, chronic drug dependence.

Benefits of Drug Testing

Students who use drugs are statistically more likely than nonusers to drop out of college

Classes are challenging and difficult even for the most intelligent students. The more they

use drugs such as marijuana, the more likely they will be to cut class and be involved in

physical attacks, destruction of property, stealing, lying, and run­ins with the college disciplinary system. Students are subject to college regulations, and they can also be expelled for

violating local, state, and Federal laws that govern illegal drugs and the misuse or abuse of

Safety, of course, is of paramount importance on campus and in the surrounding community. Studies have shown that abuse of alcohol and illicit drugs not only interferes with learning, it also disrupts the orderly environment necessary for safety and success. For example,

students who use drugs are more likely to bring guns and knives to school.

Every student, parent, and administrator expects the institution to provide protection from

violence, racism, and other forms of abuse. Certainly, then, they have the right to expect a

college learning environment free from illegal drugs and the dangers they pose.
SCOPE OF THE DRUG PROBLEM

This is simply wrong. Many marijuana users have trouble stopping on

their own. Of all teenagers in drug treatment in 2001, for example, about

62 percent had a primary marijuana diagnosis. Today, more young people

are in treatment for marijuana dependency than for alcohol or for all other

illegal drugs combined. Contrary to prevailing myths, marijuana does

cause harm. Long­term use of the drug is associated with stealing, aggression, cutting classes, and destruction

of property. Marijuana use often

occurs in combination with alcohol,

and the drug may actually be

responsible for more campus and

community vandalism and disturbances of the peace than has previously has recognized. Marijuana

also poses significant health risks.

One joint contains as much cancerIt takes little imagination

to see the threat posed by 

a mind­numbing substance

on a learning environment.

causing tar as four tobacco cigarettes, and research provides strong 

evidence that smoking marijuana increases the likelihood of developing 

certain types of cancer.

A study published in 2002 by the Journal of the American Medical

Association suggests that long­term use of marijuana causes memory loss

and attention problems, effects that can have an adverse impact on academic achievement, interpersonal relationships, and daily functioning. It

does not take much imagination to visualize the threat posed by a minddulling substance on an environment created for learning.

And the threat is growing. Scientists have determined that today’s 

marijuana contains more of the active chemical THC and is thus more

potent than the “weed” of the Woodstock era. In the 1960s and 1970s,

the amount of THC in most marijuana averaged 1 or 2 percent. Today

the average is about 7 percent, with the potency of some hydroponically

20 THE CHALLENGE IN HIGHER EDUCATION
SCOPE OF THE DRUG PROBLEM

grown varieties climbing to 30 percent or higher. Meanwhile, the 

proportion of higher potency marijuana in the U.S. market has been

rising rapidly.

These facts are even more startling when you consider that most

young people these days no longer smoke marijuana in pencil­thin

joints, but in thick, hollowed­out cigars called “blunts.” Some users

even lace their blunts with PCP or embalming fluid to enhance or

prolong the intoxicating effect.

Although most marijuana users started before age 18, a third of college­age users report they began smoking pot regularly when they were

18 or older. Such findings only underscore the need to create an environment that forces marijuana out

and, when that fails, to intervene in

the marijuana use of college­age

students before it changes the tra­ Drugs are not only 

jectory of their lives. unnecessary, they are 

a wasteful, dangerous  The college experience, a time distraction.

when young people come together

to seek knowledge, forge friendships, and prepare for the rest of

their lives, produces a high of its own. Drugs are not only unnecessary, they are a wasteful, dangerous distraction. We are selling our 

students short if we allow them to believe they can become enlightened, escape their problems, or establish meaningful relationships by

smoking, swallowing, or injecting an illegal substance that  interferes

with learning, enlightenment, and relationships from the very start.

THE CHALLENGE IN HIGHER EDUCATION  21
SCOPE OF THE DRUG PROBLEM

CLUB DRUGS

Young adults are also at risk from those drugs known collectively as club

drugs, so named because their use was once confined almost exclusively to

clubs and late­night parties called raves. Now, however, these drugs are

often used on college campuses and at private parties.

Probably the most well­known among the club drugs is MDMA, more

commonly referred to as Ecstasy, which in recent years has gained an

Rutgers University

Camden, Newark, 

New Brunswick, NJ

friends and classmates to drink, smoke, or

pop pills can be an enormous obstacle to

this fact to heart and endorsed an innovaDeveloped in 1988 by the Alcohol and

Students (ADAPS), Recovery Housing puts

students’ anonymity and allows them to

activities without fear of stigma. Those livbuilding fosters a sense of communal

Recovery Housing have the same access to

students in other on­campus housing. The

on campus.

A Place of Their Own

For students struggling to recover from

alcohol or drug problems, pressure from

success. Officials at Rutgers University took

tive treatment strategy called Recovery

Housing, which literally brings recovering

students together under one roof.

Other Drug Assistance Program for

recovering students in a building that is

physically indistinguishable from other

campus housing. This feature, requested

by the residents themselves, protects the

participate in the full breadth of campus

ing in Recovery Housing are guaranteed 

complete privacy and confidentiality, so

that others, even students living nearby,

do not know they are in recovery.

The living arrangement, which requires

residents to be sober and drug free, is

entirely verbal, and the absence of

Resident Advisors or staff monitors in the

responsibility for sobriety. Students in

members of the Residence Life staff as

only additional support they receive is

from the ADAPS staff, located elsewhere

Residents are united not by special rules

but by an honor system and a shared

commitment. “This isn’t just a place that’s

drug and alcohol free,” says ADAPS

Director Lisa Laitman. “This is a supportive

environment where everyone you live with

is a partner in your recovery.”

ONE SCHOOL ’S APPROACH

22 THE CHALLENGE IN HIGHER EDUCATION
SCOPE OF THE DRUG PROBLEM

almost cult­like following. According to the 2002 National Survey on

Drug Use and Health, 4.3 percent of people age 12 and older reported

using Ecstasy in their lifetime. Users between the ages of 18 and 25

reported the highest lifetime Ecstasy use, at 15.1 percent. In 1997,

Monitoring the Future showed that only 2.4 percent of college students

admitted using Ecstasy within the past year. By 2002, that figure had

jumped to 6.8 percent.

At first, Recovery Housing was available

only to those students in counseling with

have students who came to Rutgers

dates about 21 students.

attending once they move into Recovery

to believe it is working.

“Every time they celebrate any kind of

thank me for saving their lives.”

Contact:

Alcohol and Other Drug Assistance

Hurtado Health Center

11 Bishop Place

Rutgers University

New Brunswick, NJ 08901

Phone: 732­932­7976 (ext. 233)

Fax: 732­932 1223

ADAPS staff. Eventually, it was expanded

as more and more entering freshmen

heard about the program through their

local treatment providers. “We actually

because of this program,” says Laitman.

Recovery Housing currently accommoTo be eligible, students must have attended a 12­step program, such as Alcoholics

Anonymous (AA) or Narcotics Anonymous

(NA), and they are expected to continue

Housing. Although there has been no formal evaluation to determine the program’s success, Laitman says the response

from former participants gives her reason

anniversary,” she says, “they write to

Lisa Laitman, Director 

Program for Students

E­mail: llaitman@rci.rutgers.edu

Web site: health.rutgers.edu 

THE CHALLENGE IN HIGHER EDUCATION  23
SCOPE OF THE DRUG PROBLEM

Young people take MDMA for the rush of energy and euphoria, and

because the colorful little pill is said to offer PLUR—peace, love, understanding, and respect. It is easy to understand the allure of a pill that, for

about $40, promises a meaningful relationship in 30 minutes.

But Ecstasy is a misnomer, and its promise is a dangerous deception.

The drug has triggered a number of highly publicized deaths, some

occurring on the first use, and it is linked to a host of other problems as

well. The National Institute on Drug Abuse notes that, in high doses, this

neurotoxin is known to cause a sharp

increase in body temperature (malignant

hyperthermia), leading to muscle breakdown, kidney and cardiovascular system

failure, and possibly death. Animal 

studies have shown that MDMA causes

memory loss that can last 7 years or

longer. And a study published in Science 

magazine cautions of the possibility that

even a single MDMA experience can

permanently alter brain cells.

Ecstasy is a misnomer,

and its promise of

PLUR—peace, love,

understanding, and

respect—is a deception.

The club drugs GHB (gamma hydroxybutyrate), Rohypnol 

(flunitrazepam), and ketamine are all central nervous system depressants.

During the 1980s, GHB was widely available over­the­counter in health

food stores, purchased largely by body builders to aid in fat reduction and

muscle growth. Use of GHB can result in coma and seizures, and when

mixed with alcohol it can cause nausea and difficulty breathing. The drug

can also produce withdrawal effects, including insomnia, anxiety, tremors,

and sweating. It is increasingly linked to poisonings, date rapes, overdoses,

and fatalities. Although banned by the Food and Drug Administration in

1990, GHB is still available over the Internet, at some gyms, nightclubs,

and raves, and on some college campuses.

24 THE CHALLENGE IN HIGHER EDUCATION
SCOPE OF THE DRUG PROBLEM

Rohypnol, which is not approved for use in the United States, can cause

muscle relaxation and produce general sedative effects. In higher doses,

the drug causes a loss of muscle control, loss of consciousness, and partial

amnesia, effects that in some cases last 12 hours or more after the drug is

taken. Mixed with alcohol, Rohypnol can incapacitate victims and render

them unable to resist sexual assault.

Ketamine is an anesthetic that has been approved for both human and

animal use in medical settings since 1970. Certain doses cause dreamlike

states and hallucinations. At high doses, the drug can cause delirium,

amnesia, impaired motor function, high blood pressure, depression, and

potentially fatal respiratory problems. Ketamine is popular on the rave

scene and some college campuses, and has been used as a date rape drug.

THE CHALLENGE IN HIGHER EDUCATION  25

Facing the Challenge

Get the Full Picture

Just as campuses differ—ranging from sprawling urban universities to

small­town rural community colleges—so does the drug situation at each

school and the challenge it presents to administrators. Regardless of who

or where you are, however, the process of eliminating drugs from your

campus is the same. The first step is to assess your campus to determine

the depth and severity of the drug problem.

Student surveys are a good way to collect data and gauge the amount of

drug use at your school. The nonprofit Core Institute at Southern Illinois

University and the American College Health Association (ACHA) both

offer surveys that can help institutions of higher education in their drug

and alcohol prevention efforts. The Core Alcohol and Drug Survey is a

4­page questionnaire that can be useful in measuring the effectiveness of

campus­based prevention programs. The survey was designed to assess

the nature, scope, and consequences of students’ drug and alcohol use, as

well as students’ awareness of relevant policies. ACHA’s National 

College Health Assessment survey can assist by measuring drug use,

perceptions of drug use, and the self­reported impact of drug use on 

academic performance.

Surveys, however, are just one measurement tool. You should also pay

attention to the many other indicators of drug use. For example, look at

campus incident and crime statistics—not only for blatant incidents of

open drug use, but also for increases in sexual assaults, thefts, vandalism,

public inebriation, and any other incidents that could be drug or alcohol

related.

Listen to complaints from the surrounding community. Are your students

having parties off campus that are getting out of hand because of drug or

alcohol use?

THE CHALLENGE IN HIGHER EDUCA TION  27
F ACING THE CHALLENGE

Confer with local law enforcement authorities. Is drug trafficking prevalent in the surrounding community? Are your students suspected of

involvement, or have any been arrested on drug­ or alcohol­related

charges?

Look at student health data (in the aggregate to avoid compromising

individual students’ rights to privacy). Train the health staff to look

beneath the surface of students’ health complaints. Keep in mind that

depression and suicide are often, though certainly not always, drug 

related. Are students who seek incompletes in their courses assessed for

drug or alcohol use?

Law and Leadership

Although most college­age students are adults by law, the truth is that

maturity is not automatically conferred on one’s 18th birthday. Your

direction and guidance can help students stay away from drugs and other

harmful activities. Solid, consistent, and unambiguous policies are among

the most important tools available to you for controlling drugs and alcohol on your campus. In fact, any college or university that receives Federal

funding of any sort is required to certify it has adopted and implemented

a policy to prevent the unlawful possession, use, or distribution of illicit

drugs and alcohol by students and employees. (See “Your School’s Legal

Obligation,” page 29.)

You have a moral responsibility to your students as well. Drugs are made

illegal not as a way to limit freedom, but to allow the freedom to achieve

one's potential. As President George W. Bush said when releasing the

2002 National Drug Control Strategy: “We must reduce drug use for one

great moral reason—over time drugs rob men, women, and children of

their dignity and of their character.”

28 THE CHALLENGE IN HIGHER EDUCA TION
the unlawful possession, use, or distribution of illicit drugs and alcohol by students and

employees.

2. Develop a sound method for distributing the policy to every student

for college substance­use policies. Colleges may also have additional obligations under state

Regulations

including individual students’ federal grants, such as Pell grants. The Department of

(continued on next page)

Your School's Legal Obligation

Certification Requirements

The Drug­Free Schools and Campuses regulations require that, as a condition of receiving

funds or any other form of financial assistance under any federal program, an institution of

higher education (IHE) must certify it has adopted and implemented a program to prevent

Creating a program that complies with the Regulations requires an IHE to

1. Prepare a written policy on alcohol and other drugs;

and IHE staff member each year; and

3. Prepare a biennial report on the effectiveness of its alcohol and other

drug (AOD) programs and the consistency of policy enforcement.

The Drug­Free Schools and Campuses Regulations also require an IHE to submit a written

certification to the Secretary of Education that it has adopted and implemented a drug­prevention program as described in the Regulations.

The Drug­Free Schools and Campuses Regulations establish a minimum set of requirements

law. Equally important may be recent court decisions in lawsuits brought against IHEs by college and university students and employees. Consultation with an attorney knowledgeable

in this area is highly recommended.

Failure to Comply with the Drug­Free Schools and Campuses

If an IHE fails to submit the necessary certification or violates its certification, the Secretary

of Education may terminate all forms of financial assistance, whether from the Department

of Education or other federal agencies, and may require repayment of such assistance,

Education may also arrange to provide technical assistance toward the development of a

plan and agreement that brings the IHE into full compliance as soon as feasible.

The possibility of loss of federal funding exists in the provision that “the Secretary annually

reviews a representative sample of IHE drug prevention programs.” If the Secretary of

Education selects an IHE for review, the IHE shall provide the Secretary access to personnel

records, documents, and any other necessary information requested for this review.

F ACING THE CHALLENGE

THE CHALLENGE IN HIGHER EDUCATION  29
session, use, or distribution of illicit drugs and alcohol by students and employees on its

The written policy must also include:

1. A description of the applicable legal sanctions under federal, state, or

local laws for the unlawful possession or distribution of illicit drugs and

alcohol;

2. A description of the health risks associated with the use of illicit drugs

and the abuse of alcohol;

or students; and

4. A clear statement that the IHE will impose disciplinary sanctions on studescription of those sanctions, up to and including expulsion or terminaand Campuses Regulations, U.S. Department of Education

Content of the Written Policy

The Drug­Free Schools and Campuses Regulations require IHEs to develop a written policy

that describes standards of conduct that clearly “prohibit, at a minimum, the unlawful posproperty or as part of any of its activities.”

3. A description of any drug and alcohol programs (counseling, 

treatment, rehabilitation, and re­entry) that are available to employees 

dents and employees for violations of the standards of conduct and a

tion of employment and referral for prosecution.

Institutions of higher education have fulfilled these requirements in a number of different

ways, depending on their campus environment, available resources, and creativity.

Source: Executive Summary of Complying with the Drug­Free Schools 

F ACING THE CHALLENGE

THE “RAVE” ACT

In 2003, Congress passed the Illicit Drug Anti­Proliferation Act, sometimes called the “Rave” Act, which prohibits individuals from knowingly

opening, leasing, renting, or maintaining any place for the purpose of

using, distributing, or manufacturing any controlled substance. Heads of

colleges and universities should be aware of this law and understand how

it applies to their institutions.

30 THE CHALLENGE IN HIGHER EDUCATION
F ACING THE CHALLENGE

While raves typically occur in warehouses and other large­building settings, it is true that any dormitory, college residence hall, or other campus

building used with the consent or knowledge of campus employees to

house a rave could open the institution up to examination and legal action

under the statute. For example, a student working part­time as a dormitory resident assistant who reserved a dormitory basement for a rave event

could be liable not merely in his or her personal capacity, but also as an

agent of the university.

Drugs are not part of every student party, of course, and the institution’s

liability (or lack thereof) in each case would depend on a number of variables. Still, it is prudent for college officials to consider the statute seriously, and to take preventative action by educating administrators, faculty,

and student leaders about the wisdom of being vigilant toward a “no rave”

policy on campus.

Support From the Top

The single most important factor in having a workable drug and alcohol

policy is support by the college or university president and other key officials. Mere publication and distribution of a policy is not enough.

Students and parents need to know that the leaders of the institution are

serious about keeping the campus drug free.

Make this point and show your support whenever possible. Speak out frequently against alcohol and drugs. Let everyone who attends or is thinking of attending your school know—unequivocally—that you will not tolerate drug use at your school.

Print a notice in all admissions materials about your strong stance against

alcohol and drug use. Insist that recruiters convey your commitment to a

drug­free school in their presentations to prospective students, and clarify

your policy to parents at student orientation.

THE CHALLENGE IN HIGHER EDUCATION  31
F ACING THE CHALLENGE

A Policy With a Punch

After assessing the drug situation at your school, take a good look at your

drug and alcohol policy. Is it a perfunctory document that merely skims

the surface of the problem or pays lip service to the Drug­Free Schools

and Campuses regulations—or is it a comprehensive policy that actually

protects students from exposure to drug users? Is it a document that is

merely published in the Student Handbook and then forgotten, or is it a

viable, up­to­date policy that is fully supported and enforced?

ONE SCHOOL ’S APPROACH

After years of conducting student surveys

University determined they needed

years ago, the school launched the

to change the attitudes and behavior of

alcohol and drugs.

University Health Services. “It allows peoand think about the choices they’ve made,

son to change.”

ment. In one session, participants use their

brains in the flood of alcohol and drugs.

A Dose of Reality

Eastern Michigan University

Ypsilanti, MI

and monitoring trends in the campus environment, officials at Eastern Michigan

greater consistency between school alcohol and drug policies and enforcement of

those policies. Measures that only punish,

the university realized, do not offer educational alternatives that support student

growth and development. So about ten

Checkpoint Program, a strategy that complements enforcement efforts and seeks

students who violate the school’s policy on

“The program is not preachy, not prohibitionist,” says Ellen Gold, Director of

ple to look introspectively at their behavior

then decide for themselves if there’s a reaThe Checkpoint Program is an interactive,

facilitated workshop for groups of six or

eight first­time violators. In three 2­hour

sessions, participants are guided through

discussions on topics such as impaired

driving, gender­specific drug and alcohol

use, and the effects of alcohol on the

body, the mind, and academic achieveimaginations to recreate the events of a

campus party, describing the revelers’

behavior as the evening progresses and

discussing what’s happening to their

32 THE CHALLENGE IN HIGHER EDUCATION
F ACING THE CHALLENGE

When developing a policy, consider students all along the drug­use 

continuum. The policy should take into account:

• Students who have never used drugs and who deserve a campus

that reinforces their values.

• Students who use drugs but have not yet experienced the 

harmful consequences of their use; these students need pressure

to stop as well as access to effective interventions.

• Students who are addicted to drugs and need support to

increase their resolve to stop using, fix what is wrong, and 

participate in effective treatment at home or on campus with

follow­up care on campus.

also available to the non­college community for youth ages 17 to 25 who have

Followup interviews help determine its

Gold, it seems to be making a positive

teer to work for us,” she says. “That tells

Contact:

University Health Services

315 Snow Health Center

Phone: 734­487­1107

Fax: 734­481­0050

E­mail:  Ellen.Gold@banyan.emich.edu

Student first­time violators are required to

attend the Checkpoint Program, which is

been cited for drug or alcohol offenses.

The fees for the program are $75 for an

on­campus referral and $100 for a court

referral.

Each year, some 200 people (most of

them freshmen) take part in the program.

long­range effectiveness. So far, says

impact. “We’ve had people who’ve completed the program come back and volunus something has reached them.”

Ellen Gold, Director

Eastern Michigan University

Ypsilanti, MI 48197

THE CHALLENGE IN HIGHER EDUCATION  33
F ACING THE CHALLENGE

Your policy should encompass every aspect of alcohol and drug use,

including methods of detection, sale and possession, and penalties for

noncompliance. And it should be drawn up only after consultation with

all who are touched by it: school administrators, faculty, students, representatives of student life and Greek life, health officials, campus police,

parents, and alumni, among others. The policy should be reviewed carefully and periodically to make sure it is sufficient for the task of reducing

drug use on your campus.

Building a Program That Works

There is no “perfect” drug prevention program. Every college and 

university must adopt its own, perhaps unique, strategies for combating

drug use.

However, the most effective drug prevention programs tend to share 

certain key characteristics. After conducting an 8­year analysis of drug

prevention programs at 490 colleges and universities across the country,

Dr. Andris Ziemelis of the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse identified

a number of elements commonly found in programs that were most 

successful in reducing alcohol misuse and drug use.

Environmental Change. Programs that are successful at reducing the

initiation of drug use and convincing users to stop typically take into

account the importance of campus environments—physical, social/cultural, and regulatory—in influencing student attitudes and actions. These

programs strive to create environments that discourage substance use

while promoting a healthier lifestyle.

Eliminating alcohol advertising from the campus newspaper, for example,

contributes to a healthy campus environment. As other examples, you

could have campus police set up DUI stops on weekends and strictly

enforce the laws regarding alcohol and drug use on campus.

34 THE CHALLENGE IN HIGHER EDUCATION
F ACING THE CHALLENGE

Myths and the Truth About Drugs and Alcohol
 

Myth The Truth

Marijuana is harmless.

Marijuana use as a cause for emergency room visits has

dramatically increased, surpassing heroin and rising 176

percent since 1994.

Marijuana use is not 

addictive.

More young people are now in treatment for marijuana

dependency than for all other illegal drugs combined.

Marijuana use helps you relax 

so you can learn.

Studies show that smoking marijuana leads to changes

in the brain similar to those caused by the use of cocaine

and heroin. Marijuana use impairs the ability to retain

information during the peak learning years, when the

brain is still developing.

Marijuana is not a 

“hard” drug.

More than 60 percent of young people age 15­17

entering drug treatment are doing so because of marijuana use. Marijuana is the most widely used illicit drug

in America, with more than 15 million current users.

Party drugs are harmless.

“Designer” drugs such as GHB, MDMA (Ecstasy), and LSD

are readily available, affordable, and implicated in hundreds of deaths. They are sometimes confused with lookalike herbal products, and they often contain other illegal

drugs (unknown to the user).

Alcohol use is culturally

acceptable.

Alcohol remains a major problem on campus due to

underage use, misuse, and excessive use accounting

for increased liability costs for damages, broken relationships, poor academic performance, and injuries

and deaths due to car crashes and other accidents.

Alcohol and drug use is 

primarily a problem 

among men.

Women’s weight and physiology are different from

those of men. The same amount of alcohol or drugs

has a greater impact on women.

Drug use is a 

personal freedom.

A student convicted for any offense under any Federal

or state law involving the possession or sale of a 

controlled substance is not eligible to receive any grant,

beginning on the date of conviction.

If drugs were legalized, there

would be no consequences.

Many drug users seek intervention due to the concerns

expressed by families, friends, faculty, and the 

workplace. Legalizing drugs would remove only some

legal consequences. It would not change the emotional, physical, or social consequences of drug use.

THE CHALLENGE IN HIGHER EDUCATION  35
F ACING THE CHALLENGE

Educating your students, faculty, and staff about the risks of drug use

should be the foundation of all your prevention efforts. As a leader at

your institution, you should speak out frequently against drug use and

alcohol misuse in language that is unambiguous and straightforward.

Students who are struggling to resist peer pressure to use drugs will find

strength in your words of support.

Look for creative venues for presenting drug education. Most effective are

those programs that offer information without being coercive, and that

encourage a dialog between the presenters and their audience.

Proactive Alternatives. The more successful programs generally work

to provide proactive healthy alternatives to alcohol and drugs.

Make sure your school offers plenty of drug­free activities—parties,

dances, socials, coffee houses, and movies, for example—so students can

get together and have fun without the disruption and danger of alcohol or

drugs. Other alternatives include educational activities such as seminars

and film or video presentations.

Student Involvement/Empowerment. The most effective programs

commonly raise awareness or provide information through interactive

rather than one­sided or top­down communication. Student participation

in workshops, retreats, or training activities, for example, is more likely to

produce desired results than asking students to sit through lectures that

offer few opportunities for participation.

Invite students to place anti­drug messages on your Web site, or enlist the

support of your communications majors to develop a campus­wide media

campaign. Have students write public service announcements. Use the

campus radio and TV stations for interviews with researchers. Step up

anti­drug and alcohol messages before major holidays and spring break.

36 THE CHALLENGE IN HIGHER EDUCATION
F ACING THE CHALLENGE

By encouraging participation in volunteer activities, you can help students

understand that their contributions to the school and to society are valued. Students who know they are making a difference by helping others

are less likely to use drugs than those who do not see their own worth.

Training. Many successful drug prevention programs provide training

opportunities for members of the university community.

Train your faculty, staff, and resident assistants to recognize drug use and

alcohol misuse, and to know how and where to seek help for someone

who may be using these substances. Be sure everyone on your health 

services staff knows the signs of drug use and understands that a brief

intervention by a health care provider can be one of the most effective

ways to help someone who has begun using drugs but is not yet addicted.

Extend training to student peer counselors and others, including campus

police, resident assistants, coaches, and other faculty. Help them understand that confronting someone about his or her drug use is not an 

invasion of privacy, and in fact may be a lifesaving strategy.

Support for the Policy. Schools with successful drug prevention programs typically send an unequivocal message to the university community

through the amount of attention they give to their alcohol­and­drug 

policies, whether by promoting, clarifying, reviewing, changing, disseminating, or enforcing them. Signals such as these reveal the institutional

stance regarding substance use.

Cooperation/Teamwork. Successful programs encourage cooperation

and teamwork, thus making prevention of drug use a shared responsibility. To this end, administrators might form steering groups or advisory

boards; recruit student, staff, or faculty volunteers; or provide appropriate

training opportunities for the university community—activities that also

increase program visibility.

THE CHALLENGE IN HIGHER EDUCATION  37
F ACING THE CHALLENGE

ONE SCHOOL ’S APPROACH

Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, CA

Participating faculty in a variety of discithe risks of drugs and alcohol.

“When a faculty member they look up to

is willing to talk to them about drugs, 

students will listen,” says Sabina White,

Faculty participate in several ways. Some

porating material about drug use into

course Popular Music in America, 

impact of drugs and alcohol on music and

musicians. Students in a marine science

living cells.

Departments, students compete for fundto alcohol and other drugs. Funds earductions that focus on drug use and other

health issues.

University of California, 

In an effort to engage students in prevention activities, UCSB uses the broad­brush

method of curriculum infusion to spread

the word about the risks of drug use.

plines "infuse" their regular courses with

prevention information. As a result, hundreds of students each year get valuable

messages from people they respect about

Director of Student Health.

receive mini­grants from the Division of

Student Affairs to cover the costs of incortheir courses. Professors are given total

creative freedom, so the drug­and­alcohol

messages are often quite imaginative and

go beyond the familiar warnings. In the

for example, students learn about the

course observe the effects of alcohol on

Working with faculty in the Film and Art

ing to produce film and photography projects with prevention messages pertaining

marked for curriculum infusion are also

used to hire faculty in the Department 

of Dramatic Art to oversee student proAn Infusion of Drug Awareness

Of course, this spirit of shared responsibility should extend beyond the

campus. Law enforcement authorities occasionally request the cooperation of college officials regarding reports of illegal drug trafficking on

campus. Some administrators, concerned about the adverse publicity that

will inevitably accompany a major drug bust, may be reluctant to help.

No college wants to advertise drug trafficking on its grounds. But by

cooperating with law enforcement, you will learn a great deal about your

school’s drug problem and, consequently, what needs to be done to stop

it. And even if the investigation stirs up a bit of controversy, parents will

respect you for standing up to the problem.

38 THE CHALLENGE IN HIGHER EDUCATION
F ACING THE CHALLENGE

like—with messages aimed at persuading

their friends and classmates to avoid drugs

and excessive drinking. Participating stuabout actual levels of use on campus.

One goal of this  besides 

changing attitudes among the intended

these so­called ‘stealth education’ classes,” says White, “is that while students

gaining valuable knowledge about things

Contact:

Health Education

Student Health Service Building 588

Santa Barbara, CA 93106

Phone: 805­893­2479

E­mail: white­s@sa.ucsb.edu

In a class on Persuasion Theory, students

develop social marketing products—

brochures, radio spots, videos, and the

dents gain insight into beliefs regarding

alcohol and drugs, and they also learn

strategy, 

audience, is to promote self­discovery and

greater awareness among the students

who create the messages. “The value of

learn about communications, they’re also

that can affect their health.”

Sabina White, Director

University of California

Curriculum Infusion. One of the most effective methods of spreading

the anti­drug message is to encourage faculty to “infuse” regular courses

with facts about the reality of alcohol and drug use. “Students look at the

faculty member as an agent of social influence,” says Ziemelis. “As 

the purported expert, he or she has a sort of built­in credibility. So if the

professor infuses material into the curriculum, it’s likely to have more of

an effect.”

Anti­drug information is widely available, but information alone is not

always enough to engage or motivate young people, says Ron Glick, a

sociology professor at Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago. As

director of the Network for the Dissemination of Curriculum Infusion,

Glick works with faculty at institutions across the country on ways to

THE CHALLENGE IN HIGHER EDUCATION  39
F ACING THE CHALLENGE

integrate the curriculum with facts about alcohol and drugs. “The idea,”

he says, “is to bring prevention strategies into the classroom and seamlessly fit them into the courses being taught.” Curriculum infusion lends itself

to just about any subject area, he points out, its scope and effectiveness

limited only by the instructor’s imagination. And the response from students is overwhelmingly positive. “They pay attention,” says Glick,

“because for them, this is real life.”

Consider working with faculty at your college or university on ways to

integrate information about substance abuse into the curriculum. A biology course, for example, provides a natural setting for examining the effects

of drug use on organisms. In anthropology class, students can discuss the

role of drug use among different cultures. Students in a business and

management course can learn about productivity lost as a result of substance abuse, and about the devastating impact of drug use on jobs and

careers. Social science professors can infuse their courses with information

about how drug use damages the community. Economics students can

estimate the costs of legalizing marijuana and other illicit drugs. Math

teachers can develop curricula using drug­use surveys and data on levels

of use. Facts about drugs and alcohol can be woven into teacher education

classes; for example, students can be asked to study learning problems

that result from a mother’s use of cocaine or other drugs. English professors might ask students to examine the role of substance abuse in literature—perhaps with an assignment to write about how a character’s behavior or even the outcome of a story was influenced by drugs or alcohol.

40 THE CHALLENGE IN HIGHER EDUCATION
F ACING THE CHALLENGE

Think also about expanding your course list with classes that focus specifically on drugs and drug use. You could offer elective courses such as the

Health Effects of Illicit Drugs, or the Truth About Addiction. You might

consider requiring all incoming freshmen to take an 8­week course on

alcohol misuse and drug use, perhaps in conjunction with a wellness class.

Incorporate drug information from credible sources wherever and whenever possible—in video presentations, seminars, workshops, retreats, and

peer education/counselor assistant programs. The more you get the word

out, the better your chances of keeping drugs and the problems associated

with them off your campus.

Remember Those in Recovery

The majority of your students do not use drugs. Some are using but are

not addicted. A small number may already be in treatment or need referral to treatment. Have your school set up a drug hotline for students who

need treatment or want to help a friend in trouble.

If there are no drug and alcohol counselors on campus, make it clear

where students can be referred if they have a problem or need intense

treatment. Check for Twelve Step support groups in the local community,

or consider starting one on campus. Keep a list of student­friendly

Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous meetings for referrals.

Consider those students who are in drug treatment or in recovery. They

have made a decision to live without drugs and will need your support.

It is especially important for the institution to provide substance­free

activities and to normalize the clean and sober experience to help these

students stay “clean.”

THE CHALLENGE IN HIGHER EDUCATION  41
F ACING THE CHALLENGE

Work With the Community

In recent years, several thousand “community anti­drug coalitions” have

sprung up in towns, cities, and counties throughout the United States.

These coalitions typically involve various sectors of the community and

employ a range of strategies to address drug problems of all types.

Community coalitions often seek to form close working relationships

with local colleges and universities, which in some cases act as host

organizations for coalition operations. Such arrangements go a long way

toward reducing “town and gown” conflicts. They also can provide institutions of higher education with valuable opportunities to tap into a 

wealth of resources. Through coalitions, schools can offer their students

opportunities to get involved in volunteer activities, perhaps as tutors

working with area youngsters in after­school programs. Linking with the

community can expand the institution’s research possibilities, allowing

graduate students, for example, to help area youth programs evaluate the

effects of different drug­prevention techniques among youthful offenders.

Alliances formed through coalitions can also create opportunities for senior scholars and administrators to take a leadership role in the community, perhaps by serving on the group’s board of directors.

In Michigan during the late 1990s, seven coalitions representing 17 cities

came together to form what was called a Coalition of Healthy

Communities. As part of one campaign, the group exhorted local residents and students at Oakland University to “Do Your Part” in preventing

problems with alcohol and drugs. Nearly 500 volunteers and scores of

area organizations—including churches, schools, the courts, and police

departments—joined in the effort, along with students and faculty from

the university. The group’s primary focus was alcohol, but its prevention

message applied equally well to drug use.

42 THE CHALLENGE IN HIGHER EDUCATION
F ACING THE CHALLENGE

Using materials supplied by the coalition, supermarkets displayed the “Do

Your Part” message on thousands of grocery bags. Bar owners printed

safe­drinking guidelines on cocktail napkins, and some of them went so

far as to cancel “happy hour.” In a program sponsored in part by the Troy

Chamber of Commerce, local cab companies gave free rides home to bar

patrons who’d drunk too much—with an additional offer to bring them

back the next day to fetch their cars. Elementary schools ran poster­making contests with a prevention theme. Businesses throughout the area displayed “Do Your Part” posters in their windows and flashed the coalition’s

message on electronic signs along major highways.

Coalitions and the communities they serve are greatly enriched by their

association with colleges and universities, which, as wellsprings of energy

and new ideas, can serve as catalysts for positive change. In many cases,

faculty from area universities are hired to provide important evaluation

services for coalitions, helping them determine if their methods are effective and achieving their goals.

Find out if there are coalitions in your community, then work with these

groups to address drug and alcohol problems both on off your campus.

THE CHALLENGE IN HIGHER EDUCATION  43
F ACING THE CHALLENGE

Harnessing the Power of Perceptions

Young people are strongly influenced by their peers and the desire to fit

in. They care about what their friends think of them and strive to adopt

the norms, or shared behavior, of the social group. As researchers have

found, perceptions of group behavior play a huge role in shaping an individual’s behavior—even when those perceptions are wrong.

Many college students, for instance, believe their peers hold permissive

attitudes toward drug use. The reality is that most students do not use

illegal drugs. But if a student is convinced that “everyone does it,” he or

she may be more inclined to use drugs in order to be part of the group.

“The perception of use creates a subtle kind of pressure for a person to

become a user,” explains Dr. Alan Berkowitz, co­developer  of the “social

norms” approach to prevention. Social­norms programs attempt to influence behavior by harnessing the persuasive power of perceptions. The idea

is to dispel myths about prevailing attitudes and concentrate on truths

that are often overlooked.

“Illegal drug use is markedly overperceived, no matter how common the

actual use is,” says Berkowitz. “When you give people feedback about the

actual rates of use, people start using less.” Although the social­norms

approach has been used mostly to prevent smoking and alcohol misuse,

research suggests it holds promise as a drug prevention technique.

44 THE CHALLENGE IN HIGHER EDUCATION
F ACING THE CHALLENGE

Social norms theory calls attention not to the rates of use, but to the

actual rates of nonuse—the much greater percentage of people who

behave responsibly or do not indulge in a particular behavior, such as 

illegal drug use or excessive or underage drinking. The result is a more

accurate, and often more hopeful, picture of overall use. If young people

form perceptions of group behavior based on reality, the theory goes,

more of them will adapt to the norm of nonuse. The social norms

approach, says Berkowitz, “prevents the self­fulfilling prophesy by simply

telling people the truth and freeing the majority of students to follow

their natural inclination toward good health.”

Free speech and open expression are time­honored institutions on the

college campus. Unfortunately, the same openness that fosters intellectual

growth can also make students more vulnerable to the misguided and

destructive messages of groups pushing for relaxed drug laws. These

advocates argue that drug use is a natural part of the college experience.

They believe in little or no sanctions for drug offenders, only that students should “use responsibly.” They trumpet the mind­altering effects of

drugs and downplay the severity of the risks.

Campus leaders have an obligation to challenge false and unhealthy messages from advocasy groups that wish to see anti­drug efforts fail. Those

in positions of authority at colleges and universities cannot make drug use

a serious matter if they do not behave as though it were—if they do not

actively resist the drug culture and stand up to organizations advancing a

pro­drug agenda.

THE CHALLENGE IN HIGHER EDUCATION  45
F ACING THE CHALLENGE

As president or administrator of your institution, you can implement the

social norms approach by documenting actual patterns of use on your

campus and by finding ways to promote the fact that most students do

not use drugs. Perception­related questions in ACHA’s National College

Health Assessment can yield valuable information about the overperception of actual drug use. If social norms techniques are already in place on

your campus to target behaviors such as drinking or smoking, see if those

efforts can be expanded to include illegal drugs.

Campus­wide advertising campaigns featuring posters, media broadcasts,

and facts posted on your Web site can help drive home the point that

nonuse is the norm. A number of institutions have taken this tack to

change perceptions about drinking on campus. The University of

Arizona, for example, recently ran a social norms campaign that featured

posters based on a student survey. “Most UA students get involved and

drink less than you think,” declared one poster. It pointed out that “UA

students average 3 drinks per week,” adding that “1 out of 3 did not drink

alcohol in the last 30 days.”

There is every reason to believe the same approach can work for eliminating drug use. By drawing attention to the larger population of students

who are nonusers, you can change inaccurate perceptions of drug use on

your campus. These truer perceptions will, in turn, help steer students

away from harmful behavior and toward a happier, healthier lifestyle.

46 THE CHALLENGE IN HIGHER EDUCATION
education.

that might encourage drug use.

•

Action Steps to Effectiveness

A common message from college presidents, administrators, and senior faculty is that schools

need to take a comprehensive, big­picture approach to drug use on their campuses. Instead

of relying on strategies that target individual students, institutions of higher learning must

bring together a broader range of resources and make basic changes at the institutional, community, and public­policy levels.

The Presidents Leadership Group, created by the Higher Education Center for Alcohol and

Other Drug Prevention, has issued a report urging college presidents to acknowledge the

threat of drug use and take an active role in confronting it. The report, entitled Be Vocal, Be

Visible, Be Visionary, also recommends that college presidents take the following action steps:

• Ensure that school officials routinely collect data on the extent of the alcohol or

drug problem on campus and make this information available.

• Frame discussions of substance­abuse prevention in a context that other senior

administrators, faculty, students, alumni, and trustees care about— excellence in

• Define alcohol and drug use not as a problem of the campus alone, but of the

entire community, which will require community­level action to solve.

• Use every opportunity to speak out and write about drug use to reinforce it as a

priority concern.

• Ensure that all elements of the college community avoid sending mixed messages

• Budget sufficient resources to address the problem.

Appoint a campuswide task force that includes other senior administrators, 

faculty, and students;  has community representation; and reports directly 

to the president.

• Offer new initiatives to help students become better integrated into the intellectual

life of the school, change student norms away from drugs and alcohol, and make

it easier to identify and help students in trouble with substance use.

• Seek policy change at the state and local level, working for new laws and 

regulations that will affect the community as a whole.

• Participate in state, regional, and national associations to build support for 

appropriate changes in public policy.

F ACING THE CHALLENGE

THE CHALLENGE IN HIGHER EDUCATION  47

Conclusion 

The Rewards of Success

Through education, people acquire not only knowledge, but values as

well. Education imparts skills that allow graduates to perform certain

tasks and excel in the professions they choose. But education is more than

just a set of skills. A good education draws people closer to a shared

appreciation for their cultural heritage. It moves them toward a better

understanding of the world, and helps them appreciate and enjoy the lives

they lead.

Drug use is the antithesis of these goals. Drugs impede learning, isolate

individuals, and narrow rather than expand horizons. Because these 

substances work to defeat everything your school hopes to achieve, you

must make every effort to confront the threat and keep the danger to 

a minimum.

Begin by making it a priority to work toward a drug­free campus. Assess

your school’s drug­use situation with surveys and other tools. Through

your words and actions let there be no doubt that you will not tolerate

drugs at your institution. Engage your students in developing a viable

drug and alcohol policy. Set high standards—and stick to them. Infuse

your curriculum with facts about drug use and its consequences, and

involve students in getting the message out in other ways.

Create drug­free alternatives for students. Put teeth in your drug and

alcohol policy. Cooperate with campus security as well as local police, and

confront your school’s drug problems head­on. Build coalitions with the

local community to work on the problem together.

Above all, don’t lose heart. Working to eliminate drug use is an ongoing, difficult process. But as more and more of your graduates enter the world with

fewer barriers to achieving their potential, you will know that rising to the

challenge of maintaining a campus without drugs was well worth the effort.

THE CHALLENGE IN HIGHER EDUCA TION  49

Resources 

Government Agencies and Services

Safe and Drug­Free Schools Program

U.S. Department of Education

www.ed.gov/offices/OSDFS

Administered by the U.S. Department of Education, this program is the Federal government's primary vehicle for reducing substance abuse and violence through education and

prevention activities in schools and institutions of higher education.

Grant Information

U.S. Department of Education

• Grants to Reduce Alcohol Abuse: 
 

www.ed.gov/offices/OSDFS/dgraa.html
 

• Grant Competition to Prevent High­Risk Drinking 
 

and Violent Behavior Among College Students:
 

www.ed.gov/offices/OSDFS/gcphdvb.html
 

• Safe Schools/Healthy Students Discretionary Grants:
 

www.ed.gov/offices/OSDFS/sshsdg.html
 

• Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention Models on College Campuses:
 

www.ed.gov/offices/OSDFS/aodpm.html
 

• State Formula Grants (84.186A): 
 

www.ed.gov/offices/OSDFS/sfgsg.html
 

Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention

U.S. Department of Education

Phone: 1­800­676­1730

Fax: 617­928­1537

E­mail: HigherEdCtr@edc.org

For general information: www.edc.org/hec

For information about current or upcoming grant opportunities: www.edc.org/hec/ed

The center works with colleges and universities to develop strategies for changing campus

culture, to foster environments that promote healthy lifestyles, and to prevent illegal use of

alcohol and other drugs among students.

THE CHALLENGE IN HIGHER EDUCA TION  51
RESOURCES

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

www.samhsa.gov

SAMHSA offers information on prevention, treatment, and mental health services, as well as

free literature, topical searches, and identification of model programs and approaches for

preventing and treating substance abuse.

National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information

U.S. Department of Human Services/SAMHSA

Phone: 1­800­729­6686

TDD (Hearing Impaired):  1­800­487­4889

Fax:  301­468­6433

Spanish Line: 1­877­767­8432

E­mail:  info@health.org

http://ncadi.samhsa.gov

The clearinghouse is a one­stop resource for the most current and comprehensive information about substance abuse prevention and treatment.

The Drug­Free Communities Program

http://ojjdp.ncjrs.org/dfcs

A program of the Office of National Drug Control Policy and the Office of Juvenile Justice

and Delinquency Prevention, Drug­Free Communities is designed to strengthen communitybased coalition efforts to reduce youth substance abuse. The site provides a database of

funded coalitions nationwide.

52 THE CHALLENGE IN HIGHER EDUCA TION
RESOURCES

Substance Abuse Treatment Facility Locator

www.findtreatment.samhsa.gov

Office of National Drug Control Policy

www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/

Drug Enforcement Administration

www.dea.gov

National Institute on Drug Abuse

www.nida.nih.gov/

National Criminal Justice Reference Service

www.ncjrs.org/

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/alcohol

National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

www.niaaa.nih.gov

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

www.cdc.gov

U.S. General Accounting Office

www.gao.gov

THE CHALLENGE IN HIGHER EDUCA TION  53
RESOURCES

Prevention and Treatment

Community Anti­Drug Coalitions of America

Phone: 1­800­54­CADCA (1­800­542­2322) or 703­706­0560

Fax: 703­706­0565

E­mail: webmaster@cadca.org, or info@cadca.org

www.cadca.org

CADCA is a national organization of more than 5,000 coalitions working to create safe,

healthy, and drug­free communities. The group publishes technical assistance documents,

including Strategizer: Working in Partnership with Local Colleges and Universities, which

shows how coalitions can play a role in helping college officials plan and implement effective drug prevention approaches.

The Core Institute

Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Studies 

Phone: 618­453­4366

Fax: 618­453­4449

E­mail: coreinst@siu.edu

www.siu.edu/~coreinst 

The Core Institute is a non­profit organization that helps institutions of higher education in

their drug and alcohol prevention efforts. It offers both student and faculty/staff surveys,

including the Core Alcohol and Drug Survey, a questionnaire that can be used as a pretestposttest measure of the effectiveness of campus­based prevention programs.

Network for the Dissemination of Curriculum Infusion

Ron Glick, Director

Northeastern Illinois University

5500 N. St. Louis Avenue

Room SCI 217­A

Chicago, IL  60625

Phone: 773­442­4908

E­mail: r­glick@neiu.edu

http://www.neiu.edu/~cinfusi/

Andris Ziemelis, Ed.D.

Professor Emeritus

Counseling and Testing Center

University of Wisconsin­LaCrosse

Phone: 608­785­8073

E­mail: Ziemelis.andr@uwlax.edu

54 THE CHALLENGE IN HIGHER EDUCA TION
RESOURCES

Center for Prevention Research

University of Kentucky

Phone: 859­257­5588

Fax: 859­257­5592

E­mail: Jeff Jones at Jajone00@uky.edu

www.uky.edu/RGS/PreventionResearch

Founded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the center examines the interaction of

biological, psychological, and social factors as they relate to drug use and develops prevention strategies.

BACCHUS & GAMMA Peer Education Network 

Phone: 303­871­0901

Fax: 303­871­0907

E­mail: admin@bacchusgamma.org

www.bacchusgamma.org 

The BACCHUS & GAMMA Peer Education Network is an international organization of college­ and university­based peer education programs that focuses on substance­abuse prevention and other related student health and safety issues.

Inter­Association Task Force on Alcohol and Other Substance Abuse Issues

Phone: 303­871­0901

Fax: 303­871­0907

E­mail: dhunter@du.edu

www.iatf.org

The task force is a coalition of 22 higher education organizations committed to eradicating

substance abuse among college students. The group supports teaching students life skills

that will enable them to succeed in college and afterward.

The American College Health Association

Phone: 410­859­1500

Fax: 410­859­1510

E­mail: evl@acha.org

www.acha.org

The association is the principal advocate and leadership organization for college and university health, providing advocacy, education, communications, products, and services. One of

its principal surveying instruments is the National College Health Assessment (NCHA), which

measures a broad range of health, risk, and protective behaviors, consequences of behavior,

and perceptions among students. The survey also assesses illness and effects of selected

health conditions on academic performance.

THE CHALLENGE IN HIGHER EDUCA TION  55
RESOURCES

Web Sites of Other Organizations

Facts on Tap

www.factsontap.org

A college alcohol and other drug prevention and education program of Phoenix House prevention affiliates, the Children of Alcoholics Foundation, and the American Council for Drug

Education.

Join Together

Take Action Against Substance Abuse and Gun Violence

www.jointogether.org

Addiction Technology Transfer Center

www.nattc.org

American Medical Association

www.ama­assn.org

American Society of Addiction Medicine

www.asam.org

American Public Health Association

www.apha.org

Monitoring the Future

www.isr.umich.edu/src/mtf

Brown University Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies

http://center.butler.brown.edu

The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse 

at Columbia University

www.casacolumbia.org

56 THE CHALLENGE IN HIGHER EDUCA TION
MARIJUANA

Marijuana is a greenish-gray mixture of the dried, shredded

leaves, stems, seeds, and flowers of the plant Cannabis sativa.

It is typically smoked in hand-rolled cigarettes (joints), cigars

(blunts), pipes, or water pipes (bongs). Marijuana is the most

commonly abused illicit drug in the United States. Some of the

health effects of marijuana use include: respiratory infections,

impaired memory and learning, increased heart rate, anxiety,

and panic attacks.

Street names

Aunt Mary, BC bud, Boom, Chronic, Dope, Ganja, Gangster, Grass,

Harsh, Herb, Kiff, Mary Jane, Pot, Reefer, Sinsemilla, Skunk, Weed

College use

Nearly half (49.5 percent) of the U.S. college students 

surveyed in 2002 as part of the Monitoring the Future Study

reported using marijuana at least once during their lifetimes.

Approximately 35 percent (34.7 percent) of college students

had used marijuana at least one time during the past year, and

19.7 percent were current users of marijuana (meaning they

used marijuana at least once during the month prior to being

surveyed).

MDMA (ECSTASY)

MDMA (Ecstasy), a synthetic drug with both psychedelic and

stimulant effects, is typically consumed orally in pill form.

Although MDMA is predominantly known as a club drug due

to the prevalence of its use at nightclubs and parties called

raves, it is also being used increasingly in other settings, such as

college dorms.

The effects of MDMA last between four and six hours and can

include: confusion, depression, anxiety, sleeplessness, and 

paranoia. Physical effects of MDMA include muscle tension,

involuntary teeth clenching (which is why some users suck on

pacifiers), nausea, blurred vision, feeling of faintness, tremors,

rapid eye movement, and sweating or chills. Rave attendees

who use MDMA also risk dehydration, hyperthermia, and heart

or kidney failure. MDMA use also damages parts of the brain

that are critical to thought and memory.

Street names

Adam, Beans, E, Hug drug, Love drug, M, Rolling, X, XTC

College use

Nearly 13 percent (12.7 percent) of U.S. college students 

surveyed in 2002 as part of the Monitoring the Future Study

reported using MDMA at least once during their lifetimes. 

(A decade earlier, only 3 percent of college students reported

lifetime MDMA use.) Approximately 7 percent (6.8 percent) 

of college students used MDMA in the year before being surveyed, and 0.7 percent used the drug within the past month.

A Guide to 

COMMON CAMPUS DRUGS

MDMA tablets (above) come in

hundreds of colors, sizes, and

imprints. Popular items among

those who use the drug include

mouth guards, baby pacifers,

and light sticks, such as those

below. Vapor rub smeared

inside a dust mask is said to

intensify the MDMA experience.

Many people smoke marijuana

in a hollowed-out cigar, or

“blunt” (above). Others might

use a pipe (below) or roll the

dried leaves into a joint. A

hemostat sometimes serves as 

a “roach clip,” used to hold the

joint and protect the fingers.

© Drug Identification Bible
GHB AND ROHYPNOL

The club drugs gamma hydroxybutyrate (GHB) and

flunitrazepam (Rohypnol) are both central nervous system 

depressants that are sometimes used in the commission of

drug­facilitated rapes and sexual assaults.

form or as a powder that easily dissolves in liquids. The drug is

when mixed in a drink.

drug is also tasteless and odorless, and until recently it 

dissolved invisibly in liquids. Newer formulations contain a 

dye that makes the drug visible if slipped into a drink.

15 minutes of ingestion, include muscle relaxation, decreased

blood pressure, lessening/loss of motor coordination, loss of

consciousness, and amnesia. 

Methamphetamine is a highly addictive central nervous 

system stimulant that can be injected, snorted, smoked, or

darker colors, such as red or brown. Methamphetamine 

comes in a powder form resembling granulated crystals and

in a rock form known as ice.

When the drug is administered, users initially feel an intense

disturbances, delusions, paranoia, and brain damage. The

brain damage sometimes caused by meth is detectable months

Chalk, Crank, Croak, Crypto, Crystal, Fire, Glass, Meth, Speed,

White cross 

College use

Five percent of college students surveyed in 2002 as part of

the Monitoring the Future Study reported using methamphetamine at least once during their lifetimes. More than 1 percent

(1.2 percent) reported using methamphetamine in the year

prior to being surveyed, and 0.2 percent used methamphetamine in the month before being surveyed. 

GHB is sometimes sold as a white

invisibly when stirred into a

drink. Rohypnol (shown below

in front­and­back photos of foil

packaging) is available legally by

prescription in Mexico. Most of

the Rohypnol on the U.S. market

is smuggled from Mexico or

Colombia.

Meth is often packaged in small

plastic bags (above) or glass vials

like this meth “bullet” (below),

which dispenses the powder in

metered doses. Users smoke the

drug in a pipe or just about 

anything else that does the job,

including an ordinary light bulb

with the base and filament

removed (bottom).

© Drug Identification Bible © Drug Identification Bible © Drug Identification Bible © Drug Identification Bible

(”DATE RAPE” DRUGS)

GHB is typically ingested orally. It can be purchased in liquid

tasteless, odorless, often clear, and is usually undetectable

Rohypnol can be ingested orally, snorted, or injected. This 

The effects of both substances, which usually begin within 

Street names

GHB: G, Georgia home boy, Grievous bodily harm, Liquid ecstasy

Rohypnol: Forget pill, La Rocha, R­2, Rib, Roaches, Roofenol,

Roofies, Rope, Rophies, Ruffies, 

METHAMPHETAMINE

ingested orally. It is available in different forms and can be

identified by color, which ranges from white or yellow to

rush. Some of the effects of methamphetamine use include

aggression, anxiety, confusion, insomnia, hallucinations, mood

after the drug’s use and is similar to the damage caused by

Alzheimer’s, stroke, and epilepsy.

Street names

powder (above), which dissolves
COCAINE

Cocaine is a highly addictive central nervous system stimulant

that can be snorted, smoked, or injected. Cocaine comes in 

material (crack).

and increased temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure.

acute respiratory problems, including coughing, shortness of

breath, and severe chest pains with lung trauma and bleeding.

College use

Among U.S. college students surveyed in 2002 as part of the

used cocaine during their lifetimes, 4.8 percent reported past­year

cocaine use, and 1.6 percent reported past­month cocaine use.

HEROIN

Heroin, a highly addictive drug, is the most common and most

rapidly acting of the opiates. It can be injected, smoked, or

snorted. Pure heroin, which is rarely seen on the street, is a

white powder with a bitter taste.

Most of the heroin found on the street is in powder form and

varies in color from white to dark brown. Another form of the

drug, “black tar” heroin, can be sticky like roofing tar or hard

like coal, and its color varies from dark brown to black.

ingested and include dry mouth, heavy extremities, a flushing

of the skin, and an alternately wakeful/drowsy state. Additional

impaired mental functioning, pneumonia, and overdose.

College use

Among U.S. college students surveyed in 2002 as part of the

heroin use, and 0.1 percent reported past­year heroin use.

The abuse of ketamine, a tranquilizer most often used on

animals, became popular in the 1980s when it was realized 

that large doses cause reactions similar to those associated with

The liquid form of ketamine can be injected, consumed in

drinks, or added to smokable materials. The powder form can

also be added to drinks, smoked, or dissolved and then injectKetamine is available as a liquid

for veterinary use as well as for

human use. The liquid may vary

Cocaine paraphernalia (above)

includes materials for “washing”

the powder and cutting it for

snorting. A gram of coke (below)

yields about 20 snorting lines.

Heroin is sometimes sold in 

gelatin capsules (above), which 

prevent spillage and allow easy 

visual examination. The photo

below shows paraphernalia used 

for injecting heroin, including a

tourniquet, hypodermic needles,

and a spoon for “cooking” the drug.

© Drug Identification Bible © Drug Identification Bible © Drug Identification Bible

two forms: a white crystalline powder and an off­white chunky

Physical effects of cocaine use include constricted blood vessels

Users may also experience feelings of restlessness, irritability,

and anxiety. Users who smoke the drug also may suffer from

Street names

Big C, Blow, Coke, Flake, Freebase, Lady, Nose candy, Rock,

Snow, White powder

Monitoring the Future Study, 8.2 percent reported they have 

The short­term effects of heroin occur soon after the drug is

long­term effects include collapsed veins, respiratory failure,

Street names

Big H, Black tar, Brown sugar, Horse, Junk, Mud, Skag, Smack

Monitoring the Future Study, 1.0 percent reported lifetime

KETAMINE

the use of PCP, such as dream­like states and hallucinations.

ed. In some cases, ketamine is injected intramuscularly.

Street names

Cat valium, Ket, Kit kat, Purple, Special K, Vitamin K in color from clear to yellow.
MORE INFORMATION

General Drug Facts

Office of National Drug Control Policy, Drug Facts section 

www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/drugfact/index.html

Office of National Drug Control Policy, “Street Terms: Drugs and the Drug Trade”

www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/streetterms/default.asp

Drug Enforcement Administration, Drug Descriptions section

www.dea.gov/concern/concern.htm

National Institute on Drug Abuse

www.nida.nih.gov

National Criminal Justice Reference Service, “In the Spotlight: Club Drugs”

www.ncjrs.org/club_drugs/summary.html

Drug­Facilitated Rape Resources

Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, Acquaintance Rape of

College Students, March 2002

www.cops.usdoj.gov/pdf/e03021472.pdf

Office of National Drug Control Policy Clearinghouse, Gamma Hydroxybutyrate (GHB)
 

Fact Sheet, November 2002
 

www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/pdf/gamma_hb.pdf

Office of National Drug Control Policy Clearinghouse, Rohypnol Fact Sheet,
 

December 2002
 

www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/
 

publications/factsht/rohypnol/rohypnol.pdf
 

Additional photo credits:

Drug Enforcement Administration (MDMA)
 

Orange County, Florida, Sheriff's Office (marijuana, methamphetamine, cocaine)
 

California Department of Justice (heroin)
 
Ordering Information

This document is available online at www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov. 

Additional copies may be obtained from the ONDCP Drug Policy Information 

Clearinghouse by calling 1­800­666­3332, or by sending an e­mail to ondcp@ncjrs.org.