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(Iowa City, IA) -- A University of Iowa Health Assessment has detected a rise in some unhealthy behavior on campus.
The study found 30 percent of students used at least one nicotine product in the last three months. It also found a sharp increase in energy drink consumption, with 20 percent of students surveyed saying they had an energy drink or energy shot at least 5 days in the last month. Researchers say the percentages were compared to 2021, during the pandemic, when many students were living at home with their families.
The report finds cannabis use had a slight increase among students while illegal use of prescription drugs, like opioids, actually went down a bit.
Alcohol use didn't see much of a change, although high-risk drinking saw a jump.
39.9% of all undergraduate respondents and 67.9% of undergraduate students who reported alcohol use in the last two weeks have had at least one instance of high-risk drinking in that time frame.