Academic Festival 2014

Substance abuse among college students, while declining, is still an issue in the United States today. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), four out of five college students drink alcohol, and among these, half have engaged in binge drinking. Similar studies show that more than half of full-time college students have used or abused prescriptions or partaken in illegal drugs. Decreased academic performance is one of the most common outcomes of this usage. The NIH reports that about 25% of college students have reported academic consequences of their substance use including missing classes, falling behind, doing poorly on exams or papers, and receiving lower grades overall. This study examines the effect frequency of substance abuse (including binge drinking, marijuana, and illegal use of prescription drugs) has on college success. Using data from local college students, this study will determine if more frequent users are more likely to experience academic problems compared to 'social' users.