from Medical Issues

Study Surveys Substance Abuse
In College Students

"Assessment of difference in dimensions of sexual orientation: implications for substance abuse research in a college-age population," by Carol J. Boyd, found that "'non-heterosexual' identity, attraction or behavior was associated with a more pronounced and consistent risk of substance abuse in women than in men."

The study surveyed the sexual orientations, sexual behaviors, and sexual identities of 9,161 college age students. The study used the Student Life Survey in an online project.

Here is a sampling of the research results:

• Women attracted mostly to women were more likely to report smoking cigarettes and using marijuana, opioid analgesics and other illicit drugs.
• Bisexual men were significantly less likely than only heterosexual men to report heavy episodic drinking in the past 2 weeks.
• Mostly homosexual men had higher odds than the only heterosexual men on each of the four illicit-drug-use measures.
• Men attracted to both men and women were nearly three times as likely to report use of other illicit drugs in the past year.
• Men attracted to only men were approximately two times as likely as those attracted to only women to report past month marijuana use.