Personality Traits and Attitudes and Their Relationship to Student Drug Using Behavior

Abstract

Few issues in contemporary American life arouse more anxiety, fear, and irrationality than “student drug abuse.” Opponents of drug use consider it self-indulgent and degenerate, a sign of psychological and moral weakness of American youth. The users and proponents of drug use, on the other hand, view psychedelic compounds as “mind expanders” which make life more meaningful and more enjoyable. There is little evidence to support either of these extreme views. What little evidence there is indicates one thing: the use of psychotropic drugs on college campuses is considerable. Whether this drug use per se creates a problem or whether the problem is created by the reactions of people to the drug use is a moot point. It has been said that the real problem is not the drug problem but the drug problem problem; that is, the real problem comes from the over-reaction of parents, administrators, and other community members to the drug use of students and the lack of communication and understanding which results from this reaction. Research designed to investigate the drug problem and the motivation of drug users can lead to a better understanding of the phenomenon and to more and better informed communication about this behavior.