Year in and year out, the University of Wisconsin continues to be stereotyped for its drinking culture.
But with 35 percent of students at the University of Wisconsin having consumed some sort of illicit drug so far in 2008, Madison may become more known for its somewhat hidden drug culture.
“If you want drugs, just walk down State Street,” said Carol Ann Glassmaker, detective for the UW Police Department. “It is that simple. People and students can get what they want.”
With continued cuts in state and city budgets, Glassmaker said officers do not have the time or resources to fight the drug problem in the local community.
“There is a multitude of problems on the campus,” Glassmaker said. “There is a severe alcohol issue on this campus, and often officers take students to detox which takes up a lot of time and resources.”
In addition, Glassmaker said, even when officers at the Drug Task Force are able to arrest individuals, the Dane County District Attorney’s office is understaffed and overwhelmed with cases. Many cases are often dropped before people receive any sort of punishment for their actions.
Susan Crowley, director of prevention services at University Health Services, said the drug problem often does not receive as much attention as other problems, like binge drinking, at UW.
Consequently, this leads some to believe they can get away with using drugs because of the various limitations officials have, Glassmaker said. Thus, there is an increase in the acceptance of these substances in this environment, the frequency in which people — specifically students — choose to consume drugs, she added.
According to a study from 1993 to 2008 conducted by Policy Alternative Community Education, a project coordinated through UHS, 21 percent of UW students in a 30-day time period of 2008 used illicit drugs including marijuana, cocaine, barbituates, amphetamines, ecstasy, heroin, tranquilizers and LSD, up from 18.7 percent in 2007.
Understanding the drug scene for UW students
“Julie,” who agreed to an interview on the condition of anonymity, started smoking marijuana when her best friend introduced her to drugs during their junior year of high school.
Now in college, Julie has expanded her drug usage and frequently smokes marijuana, takes a daily dose of therapist-prescribed Adderall — a drug to control attention deficit disorder — and sometimes even mixes in acid and cocaine.
“Honestly, I really don’t like who I turn into when I drink,” Julie said. “When I do drugs, I make a better impression on people. I have a good time, am very carefree and am not ridiculous like when I am drinking.”
For someone who is under 21, Julie said, getting marijuana is easier than getting alcohol — especially without a fake ID.
Julie said she had a couple of dealers here in Madison who she was introduced to by friends. Once in the network, it is easy to tell if someone does drugs, and then the network grows and people find more dealers.
In Madison, “Carson,” who also wished to remain anonymous, said most drugs are moderately priced — $50 for one-eighth ounce of marijuana and $5 for a prescription pill.
Julie said a good portion of her budget goes to drugs, and she usually spends $50 per week on marijuana and would spend more if she could get her hands on other drugs more often.
For Julie, the benefits of using these drugs are seen in her everyday life. Adderall helps her concentrate on school, allowing her to go to class and work on homework for eight hours straight. Although marijuana might not directly help Julie’s academics, she said she is certain it does not hinder them either.
“I don’t get a hangover from it,” Julie said. “I go to every class. Some days I treat myself and smoke before I go to class.”
Carson, who smokes marijuana daily, said he might not get any direct benefit from the substance but does it “just for fun.”
The Dane County drug scene
UWPD Detective Bruce Carroll, who is assigned to the Dane Country Narcotic Task Force, said UW provides a cliental for the consumption of drugs, but added Madison would still have a drug problem even if there were no students around.
“We are busier than we ever have been,” Carroll said. “There are less arrests but more high-profile cases.”
According to the 2007 Dane Country Narcotics and Gang Task Force report, police seized 2057.8 grams of cocaine base, 3350.1 grams of cocaine, 1346.9 ounces of marijuana, 340 marijuana plants, 1129.5 grams of heroin, .8 grams of hash and 2.1 grams of psilocybin mushrooms. The drugs seized totaled $1,437,965.
On and around campus, Carroll said, marijuana is the No. 1 illegal drug. Officers often see a lot more ecstasy in this area but a lot less cocaine and heroine.
“We usually do not have any type of high drug dealers on campus,” Carroll said.
For now, Carroll said the task force is working to solve big drug busts, often sending undercover cops into the world of drugs to solve the drug problems in the community.
The challenges faced by the community and looking to civilians for help
For police officers like Glassmaker, cracking the drug scene in Madison is quite difficult.
“I think marijuana is easier to get than alcohol, and kind of a hidden culture that unless people are cooperating with law enforcement, we don’t always know,” Glassmaker said. “We need the help of our community to combat the drug problem.”
Although Glassmaker is aware there is a multitude of problems on this campus, she said drugs are a huge problem in need of more attention.
Currently, one of the only ways drug incidents are reported is if roommates or house fellows in residence halls contact police or information is given on the anonymous tip line. Officers sometimes see or smell drugs or paraphernalia during walkthroughs of the residence halls.
Carson said for people like him, who smoke or use drugs in their apartments, there is really no way for the police to find out.
Glassmaker said she hopes if there is an increase in budget, a small pool of officers could work at solving this problem. Even canine dogs, like the one UWPD now has, are useful toward narcotic prevention.
But overall, Glassmaker said there needs to be more community involvement to call and report information.
Student drug use harder to identify and address in comparison to alcohol
Crowley said any misuse of drugs is a significant issue for students, but that it pales in comparison to the overconsumption of alcohol on this campus.
Although there was an increase in usage between 2007 and 2008, Crowley said UW has stayed somewhat consistent over the years. The range in drug usage has been as high as 43.7 percent in 2001 and as low as 30.9 percent in 2004 during the PACE survey.
“We have stayed somewhat consistent in drug use over the years,” Crowley said. “Of course it is an issue, but it has not presented itself in the same way as the alcohol abuse issue.”
Despite the consistency in drug use, UW’s drug culture presence is still prevalent in the number of arrests associated with drug possession.
According to the UW Campus Crime Statistics for 2006, 70 arrests were made for drug violations, a drop from 98 arrests in 2005 and 79 arrests in 2004. In comparison, 427 arrests for alcohol violations were made in 2006, a drop from 611 in 2005 and 646 in 2004.
Similarly, a report conducted by the Chronicle of Higher Education released in 2003 found UW to be third only behind Pennsylvania State University and Indiana University on a list of the four-year campuses with 166 drug-related arrests. Penn State and Indiana had 173 and 170 arrests, respectively.
Crowley still said there is no doubt an abundance of UW students who abuse alcohol, but in terms of other drugs, the campus is fairly comparable in the types of drugs seen and abused by UW and other peer institutions.
Unfortunately, Crowley said, it is harder to identify these patterns since students with illicit drug problems are not usually identified until they seek out services, unlike with excessive drinking, which becomes more visible because of some behavioral signs.
Drugs do have consequences
Glassmaker said students often forget the consequences associated with drugs.
“Taking a prescription not designed for your body chemistry can be very dangerous,” Glassmaker said.
Additionally, if students supply an individual with any drug and they overdose, the supplier could face murder charges.
From the university’s perspective, the Offices of the Dean of Students can punish students by kicking them out of residence halls or the university.
