University of Virginia Library

Poll Shows Student Drug Use
Lies Below National Average

By SAM BARNES

Student drug use in every
category of drugs at the
University falls below the
national averages among
students, according to the
results of a survey released
yesterday.

The University survey,
sponsored by Student Council
and carried out largely by
fourth-year man Ed Wilson and
Council President Jim Rinaca,
was begun last October in an
attempt to allay charges of
harboring drug abuse lodged
against the University by local
officials and newspapers.

According to the report
students on the whole
condemned the use of all drugs
with the exception of alcohol
and marijuana.

The report, based on
computer cross- tabulation of
responses from a seven per cent
representative sample of University
students, further concluded
that "marijuana usage (at the
University) does not lead to the
usage of other drugs any more
than does alcohol."

Mssrs. Wilson and Rinaca
also said the report showed
that in a large number of cases
drugs use is begun outside the
University and that in such
instances all the University can
really do is to discourage drug
use and keep from making it a
necessary part of University
life.

The results show 53.6 per
cent of the students polled had
ever used marijuana, compared
with 67 per cent on the
national average. Almost 60
per cent of those who
indicated they had used
marijuana said they were
introduced to the drug outside
of the University and the same
percentage said they only used
the drug once a month or less.
Over 82 per cent of those
polled said they disapproved of
present laws against marijuana
possession.

Compared to a national average
of 27 per cent, student use of
hallucinogens (LSD, Peyote,
Mescaline, etc.) at the
University was found to be
17.4 per cent, with 95.2 per
cent of that group saying they
had used the drug once a
month or less. Over 80 per cent
of the students polled
indicated strong disapproval
for use of hallucinogens, but
slightly more than half also
indicated disapprove of the
present laws dealing with
hallucinogen possession.

About 16 per cent of the
University student sample said
they had used strong
stimulants, with 75 per cent of
the remaining group saying
they strongly disapproved of
their use. Slightly more than
half indicated they favored the
laws against possession of
stimulants. On the national
average 24 per cent of all
students polled have indicated
they used strong stimulants.

About five per cent of the
University sample said they
had used barbiturates,
compared to 14 per cent on
the national scale. Only three
per cent of the sample
approved of use of the drug.
Slightly under 50 per cent
thought the laws against
possession were adequate.