Page Eight--Student Fife
THE MICHI-GAN DAILY
Wednesday, Sep t mber 2, 1970 '
Page Eight-Student Life THE MiCHIGAN DAILY Wednesday, September 2, 1970 4
Survey shows 37
per cent of °U'
students
smoke,
pot
1
If city police could arrest all
the University students who
have smoked pot more than
once, they would have to find
jail space for almost 13,000 peo-
ple.
A University drug survey re-
leased last September indicates
an increasing usage of mari-
juana among University stu-
dents, with 36.7 per cent of the
campus sample rating their
smoking asmeithert"seldom"
(more than once but less than
often) or "regularly."
. "An overwhelming per-
centage" of students have not
had experience with non-med-
ically prescribed narcotics -
codeine, heroin, morphine and
opium, amphetamines - dexe-
drine, diet pills, and tranquil-
izers, or hallucinogens - LSD
mescaline, peyote, psylocybin,
and tetrahydrocannabinol
(THC).
0 Fraternity respondents re-
ported almost twice as much use
of narcotics-31.6 per cent -
and hallucinogens . . . 26.3 per
cent-as any other residence
group, as well as a significantly
higher use of marijuana/hash-
ish, 57.9 per cent, and
* Alcohol is used by 89 per
cent of those surveyed, and
tobacco by 53.9 per cent.
The sgrvey began two winters
ago when questionnaires were
sent to 1,000 students randomly
selected by computer. Some 600
replies were returned of which
580 were found acceptable for
the study.
The purpose of the
the. University Drug
Committee was to
the extent of drug
campus in order to
what kinds .of drug
programs are needed
by students.
survey by'
Education
determine
usage on
determine
education
or desired
Although the committee
stresses that "any generaliza-
tion of the findings must be
tentative because of the small
sample," it does believe the sam-
pling is "fairly" representative.
As a control for respondents
who overestimate their drug
usage or who do not take the
survey seriously, the question-
naire included the names of two
drugs,nphonodentriate (phon-
ies) and "RNR," which do not
exist. Only two questionnaires
reported use of "phonies" and
Used at level of "only once"
to "regularly," marijuana . was
reported to be used by 44.1 per
cent; narcotics, 16.9 per cent;
amphetamines, 2.7 per cent;
tranquilizers, 12.2 per cent; hal-
lucinogens, 12.2 per cent; to-
bacco, 57 per cent and alcohol,
89.9 per cent.
Although many students ex-
pressed disbelief that the per-
centage of marijuana users is
"so low," the report says the
percentage of student smokers
Union e
is much higher than has been
reported in most other college
surveys.
Det. Lt. Eugene Staudenmaier
of the Ann. Arbor Police De-
partment believes the figures
are "a little high" and that the
cause may be students might
enjoy saying they use drugs
even if they do not.
But, the report says, "If the
increased amount of marijuana
use is a result of more accurate
reporting by the respondents,
this might be explained by the
assurance of complete confi-
dentiality in this survey, or by
lessening social stigma attached
to the use of marijuana."
Of a sample of 19 fraternity
members, respondents reported
marijuana usage at 57.9 per cent
as compared to University
housing (sample of 197 stu-
dents) at 44.7 per cent; off-
campus housing (330 students),
43.0 per cent; sororities (15
students), 33.3 per cent; and
co-op, (12 students), 41.7 per
cent.
xpands
Fraternity narcotics usage is
reported at 31.6 per cent as
compared to University housing
at 14.7 per cent; off-campus
housing, 17.6 per cent; sororities,
13.3 per cent; and co-ops, 16.7
per cent.t
For hallucinogen usage fra-
ternities reported 26.3 per cent
usage; University housing, 11.2
per cent; off-campus housing,
12.1 per cent; sororities, 0.0 per
cent; and co-op, 8.3 per cent.
The analysis of the amount of
drug use by class shows a tend-
ency for usage to increase as
students progress in school until
the graduate level.
From freshman year to grad-
uate studies the use of tranquil-
izers increases from 7.1 per cent
(sample of 98 students) to 15.5
per cent at the graduate level
(sample of 296 students).
Tobacco usage increases from
53.1 per cent of freshmen to
58.8 per cent of graduate stu-
dents. Alcohol increases from
86.7 per cent to 90.9 per cent at
the graduate level.
However, except for a com-
ment of potential dangers of
tobacco and alcohol, the com-
mittee does not make v a l u e
judgments on the drugs. The
c o m m i t t e e does recommend
various educational programs
which the respondents indicat-
ed would be desirable.
Most students said the present
c a m p u s and community re-
sources do not adequately meet
the needs of students with ques-
tions or problems concerning
drugs. Most students indicated
they would tend to trust a uni-
versity-sponsored program.
Based on analysis of the sur-
vey's data, the subcommittee
suggests that future programs
"provide current and objective
information about physical and
psychological consequences of
drug use, information on legal
aspects, and provide information
on resources available to assist
students with problems or ques-
tions.
In order to insure the confi-
dentiality of the questionnaires,
no record was kept of the 1000
students selected for the sample,
no signatures or any identifica-
tion were requested and no code
numbers were used anywhere on
the questionnaires or return en-
velopes.
There are sample weaknesses
in the breakdown for year in
school and schools and colleges
of the University. The survey
r e p o r ts that undergraduates
makeup 49 per cent of the sam-
ple while actually comprising 60
per cent of the student popula-
tion.
"This perponderance of grad-
uate students in the sample may
well affect some of the findings
and should be carefully consid-
ered in drawing conclusions,"
states the report.
Another weakness is in the
representation . of the various
schools and colleges. No re-
sponses were received from law,
medical and dentistry schools
and proportionately few from
the education school.
The committee noted the ex-
tremely high usage of tobacco
and alcohol in all the ,categories
and groupings.
"With all the attention paid
to the potential dangers of non-
medically prescribed drug use,"
states the report, "it is often
forgotten that the potential for
abuse (and consequential phy-
sical and psychological'damage)
is a very real factor in the use
of tobacco and alcohol."
"Certainly the preliminary
findings of this survey would
indicate that there is a very real
problem with regard to alcohol
and tobacco usage on this cam-
pus," the report adds.
t-r
A-
The survey analyzed the col-
lected data and found:
* A total of 44.1 per cent of
the respondents said they have
smoked marijuana or hashish at
least once.
Student Credit
By TAMMY JACOBS
After its first year of handling students'
funds, the Student Credit Union is thriv-
ing.
The organization, with its slogan, of
"Student Control of Students Money," has
become a place to save as well as a place
to get loans for almost 2,000 University
students, and business is brisk at its coun-
ter in the Michigan Union.
In fact, SCU is expanding so fast it
started using a computer to handle ac-
counts Aug. 1, and it will be moving to a
larger area of the Union this September.
The credit union, initiated in August,
1969 offers students an alternative to using
the commercial banks, and gives them an
opportunity to handle their own funds.
Besides savings and loan services, SCU
offres consumer information, c a s h e s
checks, and sells money orders and travel-
er's checks.
Membership is gained when a deposit of
$5-one share-or more' is made *in the
union, and dividends are paid quarterly.
The first dividend was ..3 percent in De-
cember, 1969, but the dividend for the
quarter ending in June had'grown to atr
least 3.8 per cent..
According to Treasurer-Manager John
Kustria, dividends will reach 4.4.5 per
cent during the fall, but "that depends
on how the students use or abuse this
place."
The credit union has ,set a goal of 5 per
cent dividenlds.
SCU also hopes to expand its services to
incude a plan which would let the union
handle its members' room and board and
tuition payments.
According to this plan, members could
deposit money for the payments with SCU.
The money would then earn interest as
the union made the payments to the Uni-
versity throughout the year at the appro-
priate times.
The plan will be initiated if, after a trial
period, the new compyuter system proves
workable, according to Kustria-:
Credit union officials say they also hope
the new computer system will help handle.
the rush of deposits and loans they ex-
pect in early September.
When the credit union was started, loans
were limited to $500, but the limit has
been gradually raised to $2,500. Loans of
no more than $200 are granted to minors
without a co-signature. The interest on a
loan iseone per cent a month on the unpaid
balance of the loan.
The union is run by a nine-marn board
of, directors elected from the membership
annually. There are also three elected ad-
visory members-students who are under
21 and not legally eligible to run the union.
The board determines the union's general
policies.
The board meets monthly and all mem-
bers' of the union are encouraged to attend
and express their opinions.,
One of the major problems faced by the
union last year was that of overworked
staff-especially the Credit Committee,
which ruled on all loans at the beginning.
By February, a system had been estab-
lished where a manager, assistant man-
ager and tellers were paid, and the rest of
the work was done by volunteers. Under
this system, a paid employe is always at
the counter, along with volunteers.
"The problem is expanding our staff
without eating into profits that would be
used for dividends," Kustria explains.
The credit union, which is the first of its
kind in the country, was established after
Student Government Council created a
study committee to investigate the feasi-
bility of a credit union run by students.
A survey completed in March, 1969 in-
dicated that at least two-thirds of the
student body would eventually want to join
the union.
An application based on the survey re-
sults was presented to the State Banking
Commissioner, and permission to form the
union was granted last August.
By the middle of February, the credit
union already had more than $180,000 on
deposit with close to 1700 members. Out-
standing loans had reached a figure of
$152,000.
During the summer the credit union con-
tinued serving the student community, and
this fall, as the union enters its second year
with computerized accounts, an expanded
staff, and a new location, members are
confident that assets and dividends, as well
as services will continue to expand rapidly.
..
1 ..
i
BARBERS
for
MEN
WOMEN
and
CHILDREN
Welcome Students!
says Don Dascola, M '36
to The
DASCOLA BARBERS
THREE SHOPS:
Arborland .................971-9975
Maple Village ............. 761-2733
Hours: Mon., Thurs., Fri.-10 A.M.-9 P.M.
Tues., Wed., St.-9 A.M. to 6 P.M.
ON CAMPUS . . 668-9329 Daily 8:30-5:30
* HAMBURGERS Ann Arbor's
" CHICKEN Carry-Out Specialists
" CONEY ISLANDS
NO WAITING
" JUMBOYS PLENTY OF PARKING
©M I N G PEEDY (ERVICE
WEST OF ARBORLAND
ii
_____________________
I . t
Get
Selling
Reslt..
1
TRY DAILY
CLASSIFIEDS!
t
is NO~
-.
-- ~
The smart student
shops at
S EATER'
a
Making it at Michigan is important to you. This
means getting all the TEXTBOOKS (used and
new) and classroom SUPPLIES you'll need fast,
conveniently and with the courteous help of our
salespeople.
Ir
t!
I I II