Colleges Creating Recovery Places for Students Who Abuse Substances
College campuses can be alcohol-friendly places. People ages 20 to 22 years old are the group that does the most heavy drinking, which is defined as five or more drinks within five or more occasions in the past month, according to statistics from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. That same agency reports that the number of college-aged people seeking treatment for substance abuse has doubled in the past ten years, compared to only a 9% increase among older people.
In a study published in the Journal of American College Health, researchers surveyed students every spring semester in 2002, 2004, 2006, and 2008. None of the demographic groups showed any decline in drinking, but four groups (females, commuters, academically high achievers, and over 21 years old) showed increases. This occurred during years when most colleges were not showing any increases, which meant that drinking may be increasing just on certain campuses and not all over the United States.
If a teenager has already struggled with addiction, college life can offer many opportunities to relapse back into that lifestyle. This is why more colleges than ever are offering special programs and even scholarships for students with these problems. Programs can be in the form of a recovery community, where students share a clubhouse, drug- and alcohol-free recreational opportunities, support meetings, and even academic courses in substance abuse.
The University of Michigan and Penn State University have instituted such programs this year, as well as Texas Tech. Kennesaw State University in Georgia started with only three students in recovery in 2008, and now has 50 enrolled.
In the past, students with substance abuse disorders have dropped out of college, usually because of bad grades, or become commuters. The new recovery communities may enable them to finish their degrees while living on campus.
