Students and drug abuse, 1974 and 1980.

The paper presents a secondary analysis of students treated in hospital emergency rooms. The comparison of data provided in 1974 and 1980 data reveals a significant increase in the abuse of alcohol with drugs, methaqualone and marijuana. Fifty percent of these students ingested drugs to commit suicide or as a suicide gesture. These data suggest that school health professionals and counselors be alerted to student drug overdoses to assist students confronted with suicidal ideation.