Drug use is a means to that end. Don't mistake that for a license to go buy a bunch of drugs and do them. I'm not recommending that, because anytime you do these things, the essential purpose is to see how close to death you can take yourself and still come back. That is how many people become truly self-aware, although the attempt can kill you if you aren't careful. And that's a fact.
People die because they go beyond the limit.
It's a guessing game you play, even with alcohol, cigarettes and extreme sports. Unfortunately, some have to get too close before they know the limit. But the fact that people do this isn't the result of the University, or the cities of Champaign and Urbana creating an atmosphere of getting messed up. I have friends who were pretty much binge drinkers. They have since graduated and now have good jobs and no longer drink to excess.