Abstract
The reported drug usage of students attending a large southeastern statewide university system was investigated by use of a 112-item questionnaire and analyzed in terms of racial classification. Of the 24,475 student respondents, 84% reported their racial grouping and were included in this study. Many of the results were not congruent with findings of previously reported research. Black students reported significantly lower usage of alcohol, marihuana, stimulants, and hallucinogens when compared to white students, and furthermore, there were significant differences between most racial groups on five other drug usage levels.
The group most often having contact with drugs was the American Indian, and the second highest level was reported by those responding “Other” to the racial classification item. The Oriental and white/Caucasian group reportedly used drugs to a much lesser degree. The reported usage levels of the black/Negro group was among the lowest of the five racial groups on most drugs. Blacks attending predominantly white institutions reported higher, albeit slightly, rates of drug usage than blacks attending predominantly black institutions.
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This research was supported in part by a grant from the Law Enforcement Assistance Administration, United States Department of Justice, under Discretionary Grant #72-DF-04-0037. The study was undertaken while the authors were affiliated with the University of Georgia at Athens.
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Strimbu, J.L., Schoenfeldt, L.F. & Sims, O.S. Drug usage in college students as a function of racial classification and minority group status. Res High Educ 1, 263–272 (1973). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00991533
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00991533