“BINGE DRINKERS, ILLICIT DRUG USERS AND POLYDRUG USERS: AN EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUDY OF AMERICAN COLLEGIANS,+ *” by

This study focuses on polydrug use among American college students. Based on a secondary analysis of data originally collected in 1993 from a large representative sample of 4-year college students, (N = 17,592), this analysis compares four subgroups of young adult drug users: exclusive binge drinkers, users of illicit drugs, those with both heavy use of alcohol and illegal drugs (polydrug users), and low-frequency alcohol users. Consistent with the results from clinical studies, collegiate polydrug users were far more likely to engage in risk-taking behaviors--getting into fights, engaging in unprotected sex acts, having more DWI experiences and displaying greater drug use--than any of the other subgroups of respondents. This study also demonstrated the value of therapeutic availability to effectively reduce collegiate substance misuse. For most respondents heavy alcohol use in high school was found as the closest correlate to later collegiate polydrug use. Yet, among the small subset of respondents reporting heavy high school alcohol use and who had experienced treatment for drug problems, their collegiate drug use patterns were far more moderate, in comparison to their non-treated peers. These findings demonstrate the allimportant need to offer a full complement of drug rehabilitation and education services to secondary school populations.