Alcohol and Other Drug Use at UNC

Each year UNC administers the Core Survey to undergraduate students. The Core Survey measures students’ perceptions and behaviors regarding the use of alcohol and other drugs. 

According to the October 2010 Core Survey, we know that:

• Almost 35% of UNC students did NOT drink in the last 30 days.
• Almost 70% of students refused a drink in the last month.
• Only 18% of students report using marijuana in the last 30 days.
• For students who do choose to drink, the average # of drinks consumed per week is 4, which is less than the national average!

Despite this positive information, we do know that alcohol and other drug use can cause many problems that impact a student’s safety, relationships, finances, legal standing and surrounding environment. Here are some not so happy statistics:

• 27% of UNC students reported some form of public misconduct (such as trouble with the police, vandalism, fighting/argument, etc.) at least once during the past year as a result of drinking or drug use.
• Over 20% of students report some kind of serious personal problems (such as being hurt or injured, sexual assault, suicidality, etc.) at least once during the past year as a result of drinking or drug use.
• Almost 1/3 of UNC students have done something they later regretted as a result of alcohol or other drug use.