Drug Usage as Determined under Conditions of Anonymity and High Questionnaire Return Rate

Abstract

The present study had three principal purposes: (1) to collect, on one sample, information concerning lifetime usage of major drugs, overall frequency of usage, places and situations of initial usage, and exposure to drug usage through social group contacts; (2) to assure subjects of absolute anonymity in order to avoid biases introduced by identification of subjects; and (3) to obtain high questionnaire return rates in order to assure reduction of sample biases. A drug survey questionnaire dealing with marijuana, amphetamines, heroine, hallucinogens, tranquilizers, and antidepressants was administered in classroom settings to a total of 332 college students. Subjects did not record their names and thus were assured of complete anonymity. The return rate for questionnaires was 99.4%. Data were subgrouped for analysis to differentiate freshmen and upperclassmen and to differentiate males and females. For various subgroups, lifetime usage of marijuana and LSD ranged from 55 to 80.6% and from 14 to 30%, respectively. Current use ranged from 30.1 to 62.5% for marijuana and from 2.5 to 9.1% for hallucinogens. Sex differences were minimal, and usage levels were generally higher in upperclassmen than in freshmen.