February 2005

Up for discussion: Drugs and UC Davis students

Stephanie Lake is program coordinator of the campus's Alcohol & Drug Abuse Prevention and Treatment program. (Debbie Aldridge/UC Davis)

Like the rise and fall of hemlines, illegal drugs shift in popularity. So, concerned parents may not know what to look for when it comes to the possibility of their student using drugs.

The good news is that the overwhelming majority of students at UC Davis say they are not using any type of illegal drugs. The bad news is that the use of hallucinogenic mushrooms has increased among young people, and amphetamines are still a concern. Marijuana also remains popular.

Campus survey on drug use

A random survey of 2,000 UC Davis undergraduates in fall 2003 revealed that 18.8 percent of students had used marijuana in the previous quarter.

Only 5.2 percent of students admitted using other illicit drugs. Among those, 2.3 percent said they used hallucinogens such as mushrooms, while 1.7 percent admitted to using amphetamines, which are stimulants affecting the central nervous system.

Stephanie Lake, program coordinator of the campus's Alcohol & Drug Abuse Prevention and Treatment program or ADAPT, believes in giving both students and parents the straight facts about drugs and alcohol.

"The community takes drug and alcohol use very seriously, and we are working very hard on this," she says. "If students are going to be choosing to do it, they are going to be doing it with a lot of information from us."

ADAPT provides campuswide education and prevention programs and offers assessment, counseling and referrals for students with issues related to drugs or alcohol.

Hallucinogens and amphetamines

While most parents would recognize giddiness and red, watery eyes as symptoms of marijuana use, many are unfamiliar with the effects of other drugs.

Lake is quick to note that hallucinogenic mushrooms, consumed in raw or dried form, are not addictive. "I think that's why students think it's just fun," she adds.

The problem, Lake says, is that as with LSD or "acid," students having delusions from mushroom use are at risk of injuring themselves or worse, suffering a psychotic episode. In addition, poisonous mushrooms are hard to distinguish from hallucinogenic mushrooms and can have deadly consequences. Symptoms of mushroom use can range from relaxation to frightening hallucinations.

Possession of hallucinogenic mushrooms is illegal in California because the psychoactive chemicals they contain are controlled substances.

While the number of students using amphetamines appears to be small, Lake is especially concerned about the drug's addictive powers. Symptoms include dilated pupils, agitated behavior, irritability and loss of appetite.

Lake says the key to talking to students about drug use is to be willing to open up the discussion and be honest.

She also urges parents or students seeking help to call ADAPT at (530) 752-6334.

For more information on specific drugs and their symptoms, visit the "Drug & Alcohol Facts" section of the ADAPT Web site.

Top of page

Return to previous page