Stabilization of Drug use Patterns on the American Campus

Abstract

Patterns of drug use among students in higher education change and reach stabilization as a result of societal reactions, institutional adjustment mechanisms, and the students' own experiences and experimentation in drug use. The thesis of this article is that patterns of drug use on large U.S. campuses have been institutionalized to such an extent that they are no longer a disruptive element in education and adjustment. Looking at the stages of the institutionalization process may help us in understanding the correct scope of drug abuse, as opposed to drug use, and in recognizing parallel processes in other populations.