"It's the alternative to drinking," said Robert Devaney, a junior at Northwestern University in Boston, Mass. "To get alcohol, someone is going to make sure you're of age, whereas marijuana is easily available. I would definitely say it's a big problem on campus."

According to a newly released study from the Harvard School of Public Health, marijuana use among college students rose 22 percent between 1993 and 1999. The study was based on the responses of more that 14,000 students, selected randomly from 119 four-year colleges in 40 states.

"I think it shows the need for colleges to approach this problem, but it also shows the need to beef up the programs earlier in high schools and even middle schools," said Dr. Henry Wechsler, who headed the study.

Although the study noted that marijuana users are typically single and white, the report showed increases among all races and types of students.

According to the report, marijuana use was highest at colleges in the Northeast and lowest in Southern schools. In addition, marijuana use was higher among students who participated in other high-risk behaviors, such as binge drinking, cigarette smoking, and having multiple sexual partners.

The study appears in the November 2000 edition of the journal Addiction.

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