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2007 Core Survey summary
Valdosta State University
2007 CORE Alcohol and Drug Survey
Page 6
The average number of drinks consumed per week at this institution is 3.2 drinks. The national average is 5.8 drinks (based on a sample of 58817). The percentage of students who report having binged in the last two weeks at this institution is 35.6% compared to the national average of 47%.
Consequences of Alcohol and Drug Use
The proportion of students who report having had problems as a result of drinking or drug use is another indicator of the level of substance abuse. The percentages of students who reported that within the past year they had various problematic experiences are given in Table 3. The top group of items represents public misconduct or behaviors that involve actual or potential harm to others. The second group represents possibly serious personal problems. The last group may consist of less serious (and more common) experiences which nevertheless may indicate excessive use.
Table 3 - Problematic Experiences
This Reference
Institution Group Experience
1.2 1.7 Been arrested for DWI/DUI
5.4 14.0 Been in trouble with police, residence hall, or other college authorities
3.3 7.1 Damaged property, pulled fire alarms, etc.
26.5 26.6 Driven a car while under the influence
26.2 32.3 Got into an argument or fight
0.8 1.5 Tried to commit suicide
1.2 4.5 Seriously thought about suicide
10.0 15.6 Been hurt or injured
7.9 10.6 Been taken advantage sexually
2.1 3.4 Taken advantage of another sexually
4.0 5.3 Tried unsuccessfully to stop using
6.7 10.6 Thought I might have a drinking or other drug problem
19.4 22.7 Performed poorly on a test or important paper
29.1 37.5 Done something I later regretted
31.3 31.0 Missed a class
24.6 30.4 Been criticized by someone I know
25.7 33.5 Had a memory loss
49.0 53.6 Got nauseated or vomited
57.2 62.4 Had a hangover
Differences among Student Groups
Table 4 compares substance use patterns and consequences of several campus groups: males and females, younger and older, academically more and less successful, and on and off-campus residents.
Table 4 - Differences among Student Groups Campus
Gender Age Average Grades Residence
Female Male 16-20 21+ A-B C-F On Off
Sample Sizes: 286 201 267 254 404 100 146 309
Currently use (in the past 30 days) alcohol 64.8 65.5 62.0 67.6 60.4 77.6 63.6 67.2
Currently use (in the past 30 days) marijuana 12.9 9.5 13.4 10.0 8.8 18.4 16.1 9.5
Currently use (in the past 30 days) illegal drugs 2.8 2.0 2.3 2.8 2.0 4.1 2.1 2.6
other than marijuana
Had 6 or more binges in the past 2 weeks 1.4 5.0 3.4 2.8 2.2 6.0 2.7 2.9
Have driven a car while under the influence 26.9 25.5 19.8 33.7 23.2 37.8 15.4 32.9
during past year
Have been taken advantage of sexually during 7.4 9.6 8.0 7.6 7.0 11.3 9.1 6.9
past year
Have taken advantage of another sexually 1.4 3.6 2.3 2.0 1.5 4.2 2.1 2.3
during past year
Sample Demographics
Following are some summary characteristics of the students who completed and returned the questionnaire.
31.7% were freshmen
10.6 % were sophomores
26.4 % were juniors
28.1 % were seniors
2.8 % were graduates
0.4 % were other
79.3 % were in the "typical" college age range of 18-22.
58.7% were female.
67.9% lived off campus.
56.8 % worked part-time or full-time.
96.0% were full-time students.
21.1 % reported spending at least 5 hours per month in volunteer work.