Trends in Perception of Risk and Availability of Substance Use Among Full-Time College Students

Trends in Perception of Risk and Availability of Substance Use Among Full-Time College Students

Trends in Perception of Risk and Availability of Substance Use Among Full-Time College Students

In 2014, full-time college students age 18 to 22 were more likely than other same-aged young adults to perceive great risk of harm from smoking one or more packs of cigarettes a day, but they were less likely to perceive great risk of harm from monthly cocaine use, trying heroin once or twice, and trying LSD once or twice.

In Brief

• In 2014, full-time college students aged 18 to 22 were more likely than other same-aged young adults to perceive great risk of harm from smoking one or more packs of cigarette a day, but they were less likely to perceive great risk of harm from monthly cocaine use, trying heroin once or twice, and trying LSD once or twice.

• Full-time college students were also more likely than other same-aged young adults to believe they could easily obtain marijuana or LSD; however, they were less likely to believe they could easily obtain heroin.

• Full-time college students were less likely than same-aged young adults to have been approached by someone selling drugs in the past month.

• The percentage of full-time college students who perceived great risk of harm from daily binge drinking was relatively stable between 2002 and 2014. The percentage of full-time college students who perceived great risk of harm from weekly marijuana use was lower in 2014 than in any year from 2002 to 2013.

• Among full-time college students, the perception of the ability to obtain marijuana has remained steady in recent years; however, in 2014, fewer full-time college students believed that they could easily obtain crack or cocaine than in previous years.