Exploring the Association Between Secondhand Effects and Substance Use in a Sample of Rural College Students

Purpose:  College students engaging in alcohol and other drug use may experience personal consequences from their substance use - DWI, failing in school, and having a hangover. They may also experience secondhand effects from other students’ use of substances. Secondhand effects include; interrupted study, feeling unsafe, and damage of physical space. We conducted this secondary analysis to explore the relationship between current use of substances and secondhand effects.

Method:  The study employed the 2010 CORE Alcohol and Drug web-based survey sent to the student body at a small rural northeastern public college through their school email account.  A sample of 416 students (55.3% women, 44.7% men; 61% on-campus, 39% off-campus; 92.2% white/non-Hispanic) ages 17-50 (median age 20) completed the survey.  For this convenience sample the planned analyses focused on sample description and identifying the correlates of current substance use.

Results:  Among the respondents, 88.2% (n=400) reported experiencing secondhand effects, 72.4% (n=410) reported experiencing personal consequences, and 63.2% (n=400) reported experiencing both.  Bivariate analysis indicated students reporting no current alcohol use were as likely to report experiencing secondhand effects as students reporting drinking in the past 30-days.  Respondents who reported current heavy drinking were more likely to report experiencing personal consequences than students reporting no current heavy drinking (c²=98.7; df=1; p < .0001; φ = .491).  Current marijuana users were more likely than current non-users to report personal consequences (c² = 58.1; df  = 1; p < .0001; φ =.378) and to report experiencing secondhand effects (c² = 6.0; df  = 1; p = .01;  φ =.123).  Among participants 62.3% (n=401) began using substance use by 17 years of age (i.e. onset risk).  There was a positive relationship between the onset risk and the number of substances respondents reported currently using (c² = 81.4; df = 2; p < .0001; φ=.451).

We used a multivariate logistic model to regress any use of alcohol or marijuana on gender, age, onset risk, residence, personal consequences, and secondhand effects.  Results indicated that: men were 2.5 times more likely than women to report substance use; older students were 1.8 times more likely than younger students to report using substances; students with onset risk were 4.5 times more likely to report substance use; and, students reporting personal consequences were 9.7 times more likely to use substances.  Secondhand effects and residence were not statistically related to reports of substance use.

Implications: The multivariate results suggest being male, being older, having onset risk, and experiencing personal consequences indicate an increased likelihood of current substance use.  The results also indicate secondhand effects are as likely to occur with non-substance users as substance users.  In this study reports of secondhand effects were pervasive (88%) and this has implications for campus substance use prevention.  Substance use impacts the entire campus community and prevention programs should specifically address substance use secondhand effects as a public health concern.  Most interventions focus on preventing harmful drinking.  Intervention should consider the negative impacts of substance use on the overall health of the campus community.