Table 4.7 summarizes annual prevalence of the six most frequently used drugs. Table 4.8 summarizes the ages at which students reported starting the use of each drug. While historically the average age of first use is between the ages of 14 and 16 for many drugs, note that for cocaine, sedatives, opiates, hallucinogens, designer drugs, steroids, and other illegal drugs, the 18 to 25 age range incurs the highest percentage of reported first use. The highest percent of reported first use for tobacco, alcohol, amphetamines, and inhalants occurs at younger ages, but even for those drugs note that there are significant numbers of students who began using between the ages of 18 and 25. Consequences Table 4.9 lists the self-reported consequences of alcohol and other drug use during the last year.
Several findings are relevant to the academic environment.
A substantial contrast exists between the 36.2 percent of students who have driven under the influence and the 1.5 percent who have been arrested for drunk driving. Alcohol Use and Acacdemic Performance Table 4.10 describes the relationship between the average number of drinks consumed per week and grade average. As can be seen, the heaviest drinkers obtained the lowest grades.