SUBSTANCE USE AND ABUSE AMONG COLLEGE-STUDENTS - A REVIEW OF RECENT LITERATURE

This article reviews the research literature since 1980 on alcohol and other (illicit) drug use among college and university students. The d iscussion begins with a summary of survey findings on the nature and e xtent of alcohol and drug use, including prevalence and patterns of us e and associated problems. This summary is followed by a discussion of the correlates of substance use and problems, including demographic c haracteristics, personality factors, year in college and grade point a verage, college residence, motivation, and attitudes. The most popular substance used by college students is alcohol, used by about 90% of s tudents at least once a year. Heavy alcohol use is also prevalent, and is associated with serious, acute problems. Although alcohol use has decreased somewhat in recent years, much larger declines in use have b een recorded for illicit drugs. The major proportion of research on su bstance use in this population has been devoted to alcohol; more infor mation is needed on the prevalence, patterns, and correlates of illici t drug use. Suggestions for coping with problems of campus alcohol use /abuse are offered.