University of Virginia Library

Drug Use Survey

Use of cocaine was found
among six per cent of the
University sample, with 10.4
per cent of students using the
drug nationally. About 81 per
cent of those polled
disapproved of cocaine use,
and a majority approved of the
laws against cocaine possession.

Only 1.2 per cent of the
sample had ever had contact
with heroin as compared with
4.3 per cent on the national
average. Only 4 per cent stated
approval of heroin use was
over 90 per cent indicated
approval of the present laws
against heroin possession and
distribution.

As for alcohol, 91.3 per
cent of the sample said they
had used alcohol, compared
with 98 per cent nationally.
About 88 per cent of those
who used alcohol indicated
they had not started using it
while at the University,
however.

About 13 per cent of the
total sample said they had ever
sold marijuana with only 8 per
cent saying they had sold it to
local junior high or high school
students. About four per cent
of the sample said they had
ever sold hallucinogens, with .4
per cent saying they had ever
sold to local junior-high and
high school students.

No sales of other drugs to
Charlottesville-Albemarle
students were indicated and
other sellers in each category
made up less than one per cent
of the total sample.

In general women reported
less use of drugs and stiffer
attitudes toward drug law
enforcement than did men.
Men were shown to be the
predominant buyers and sellers
of drugs.

Drug use was shown to
peak around the fourth year at
the University. After fourth
year, drug use was seen to
taper off. Graduate student use
of drugs was relatively minor,
with the exception of alcohol
and marijuana.

As a function of grade
point averages the use of drugs
decreased as the grade point
average increased up to about
3.6, but from 3.6 to 4.0, drug
contact appeared to increase,
the report said. Those students
with the high averages
indicated stronger disapproval
of use of the drugs than did
others, however, but they also
disapproved more strongly of
the present laws dealing with
drug possession (with the
exception of heroin.)

Drug use in on-Grounds
housing was found to be less
than in other living facilities,
and use in the apartment areas
was found to be the greatest
of the categories. The report
shows that about 61 per cent
of those students living in
apartments had used
marijuana, while 53 per cent in
fraternities and 45 per cent in
on-Grounds housing had used
the drug. Mr. Wilson termed
these results evidence that
marijuana serves as a "beer
substitute" among many
apartment dwellers.

The poll was distributed to
902 students; 57.4 per cent
(518) were returned, making
the poll results "very reliable,"
Mr. Wilson said.