Drugs on Campus -- Is San Diego State Typical?

As millions of students get ready for the big move from high school to college, the recent drug bust at San Diego State University comes as unsettling news. As the L.A. Times reported, 96 people were arrested on drug-related charges, 75 of them students. Parents and students alike are most likely wondering if the college experience is going to be poisoned by an out-of-control drug scene.

The bottom line, of course, is that drugs have always been available on college campuses and they probably always will be. It’s also true, however, that colleges are tolerating drug use less today than in decades past -- for both legal and social reasons. While San Diego State University got a black eye from the recent drug busts, it was their own president Stephen Weber who encouraged undercover agents to investigate the drug problems on campus.

It’s also true that some campuses have greater drug troubles than others. San Diego State has been in the news recently, but few schools in the country do not have a history of arrests for sale or possession of drugs. This information is reported publicly and available from the Office of Postsecondary Education. Type in a school name, then click on "arrests." You’ll be able to see the number of arrests and disciplinary actions related to drug law violations.