What is it about this NY school that makes students abuse substances more than others?

The Ithacan reports.

Ithaca College students drink and smoke more than average

Ithaca College students use marijuana, drink alcohol, feel stressed and have sex more than the national average, according to survey results from the National College Health Assessment survey.

The college’s Center for Health Promotion released the 2015 survey results Sept. 13, and the national reference data from the American College Health Association was released this month, revealing the college places above the national average in a number of categories.

The survey was emailed to 3,062 students between February and March. Of the students who received the email, 718 completed the survey.

Seventy-six percent of students at the college said they consumed alcohol in the past month, while the national average was 64.8 percent.

In addition, 34.7 percent of the college’s students said they used marijuana in the past month, while the national average was 16.9 percent.

Nancy Reynolds, health promotion center program director, said the trends may be explained by the stress levels revealed in the survey.

The stress results revealed that 9.6 percent of students at the college have seriously considered suicide within the last school year, while the national average is 5.7 percent. Only 12.1 percent of students nationally reported being treated for anxiety, while 19.5 percent of students at the college did.