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SOU pot use twice the norm Survey: Younger students have most problems By JOHN DARLING for the Mail Tribune ASHLAND -- Southern Oregon University students are consuming huge amounts of alcohol and marijuana and are no strangers to other illegal drugs, according to a new SOU survey. Half of SOU students have smoked pot in the past year -- twice the national college rate -- and a third are considered "current users" who smoked in the past month. "It's really shocking. I was surprised to see the levels of illegal drug use," said Robert Holiday, student senator and member of the SOU Alcohol Policy and Practices Review Committee, which conducted the survey of 484 students. Other findings: About 11 percent of students surveyed have used drugs other than pot in the past month. Hallucinogenic use -- 16 percent of students in the past year -- is more than three times the national college rate. And almost three-fourths of minor students have had a drink in the past month and 43 percent of all students report binge drinking (five or more drinks at one sitting) in the past two weeks. In addition, 56 percent reported smoking this year, compared with a 38 percent national college rate. The survey, written by the U.S. Department of Education, was completed last month. The biggest problem revealed by the survey is the large numbers of students age 17-20 drinking too much and getting mired in social, legal and health problems, said Joan Jackson, associate dean of students and chairwoman of the committee. "Our students come in very seasoned in alcohol and drug use," she said. "Very few of them haven't tried it. When they hit campus, it accelerates, because they are away from parental control for the first time and have a sense of freedom. By the time they're 21, they have learned from life experiences, some of them harsh, to handle alcohol moderately." Most figures parallel a similar SOU survey five years ago, except pot use is up about 10 percent. The survey showed slightly greater drug and alcohol use by males, on-campus residents, younger students and those getting lower grades. However, many more males did binge drinking and drove under the influence. "It's mostly the guys binge drinking. They do it just to get drunk," agreed sophomore Stephanie Hatchman. "I lived in Greensprings dorm last fall and there was a lot of alcohol and drug use on every floor. It's known as the party dorm. I used to join in the parties, but I got in trouble academically and said, hey, I've got to focus on studies. "There is a lot of drinking and drug use at parties, mostly pot. Not a day goes by that I don't see people smoking pot." Senior Rick Tidrow said the survey was "sort of astounding, but not surprising. You see marijuana everywhere here, like at parties, and you hear people talking about it anywhere on campus." Pot use is most concentrated among students in their late teens and early 20s, he said, when students may not have cars and can't get into bars. "Early in college life is where the heavy use of substances (pot and other drugs) is, and it's mostly for bonding and a sense of togetherness with friends. As you mature, you get activities and you don't have the time for it." Drug and alcohol use have led many students surveyed into trouble, with 26 percent reporting getting in a fight, 18 percent saying they got in trouble with authorities and 29 percent saying they'd blown a test or project. Twelve percent said they had been taken advantage of sexually and 2 percent said they attempted suicide. SOU has many prevention and educational programs in the dorms, Jackson said, including bringing in speakers from the Oregon Liquor Control Commission, police and Alcoholics Anonymous. And the freshman class is developing a nonalcoholic bar in the student union basement, due to open this fall. "Students finish studying about 9," Jackson said, "and need a place to go that has a social setting." Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA