Drug and alcohol-related arrests on college campuses doubled nationally between 1999 and 2000 according to the Department of Education, and statistics for drug-related arrests on the Boston University Police Department’s website were no different.
The DOE study surveyed 6,200 four-year colleges across the country, finding drug use in 2000 was up 10.2 percent from the previous year.
Statistics released by BUPD also indicate an increase in drug-related arrests. According to their logs, drug arrests on campus significantly increased from 18 arrests in 1999 to 40 in 2000.
However, BUPD reported a drop in the number of alcohol arrests decreased from 67 to 56 over the same period of time.
Several students acknowledged drug use on the BU campus is prevalent, or at least that it is exists.
Daniel Morris, a School of Management sophomore, said drug use occurs often at BU.
“You can always find a party to use drugs at or someone to buy drugs from,” Morris said. “I would say that there is a wide variety of drug use on campus as well.”
Other students, such as Brandon Beck, a College of Arts and Sciences junior, said they don’t think drug use is as common as others say.
“There hasn’t been any that I’ve seen of,” Beck said. “I guess I just don’t hang out with people that do drugs.”
Some students acknowledged that since BU is a city school, it is easier for students to procure different kinds of drugs.
“BU is a large school so drugs might be slightly more common here,” said Qasimah Jinnah, an SMG sophomore. “There is also more diversity of people and there is a night life.”
Most students, however, were reluctant to say drug use is a major problem on campus.
“It can go either way. Some people are affected by it, others aren’t,” Morris said. “I think it depends on the person and that person’s individual habits as opposed to the drugs themselves. I think the BUPD does enough as it is.”
Morris said he thought the school could offer more drug abuse programs for students in need and also offer more information sessions for incoming students about the dangers of drug use.
Rebecca Hirota, a CAS sophomore, agreed.
“It doesn’t seem to be a problem,” Hirota said. “If you don’t do it, it shouldn’t affect you. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t do it and it affects them.”
Jinnah, however, had a different perspective.
“Drugs can affect you emotionally and academically,” Jinnah said. “They can interfere with important parts of your life. I definitely think more should be done about it.”
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