45,000 Arrests on College Campuses for Drug- and Alcohol-Related Offenses in 2014

There were almost 45,000 arrests on college campuses in 2014 for drug- and alcohol-related offenses, according to a new report. There were also more than 250,000 disciplinary actions on campuses related to drugs and alcohol, according to U.S. News & World Report.

The findings come from a report by ProjectKnow.com, an online referral service for drug and alcohol addiction treatment centers.

Project Know analyzed data from colleges that receive federal funding, which are legally obligated to provide annual reports about crimes that occur on and around their campuses. The report analyzed data from colleges with enrollments of at least 5,000 students, totaling about 1,000 medium- and large-sized colleges.

The researchers found drug arrest rates on college campuses were highest in Montana, West Virginia, South Dakota, Wyoming and Delaware. Those states had on-campus arrest rates that were at least 2.3 times higher than the median state average of 1.08 per 1,000 students. Alabama, Florida and South Carolina accounted for some of the largest jumps in drug arrests on campus when measured by arrests per capita.

The University of Alabama had 49 drug arrests in 2014, and 109 the following year. Ithaca College in New York had the largest increase in drug arrests per capita between 2013 to 2014. The college also had the most drug disciplinary actions per 1,000 students in 2014.

New York alcohol arrests rose 44.4 percent between 2013 and 2014, while Nevada alcohol arrests increased 40.7 percent. Six of the top 10 states for drug arrests were also in the top 10 for alcohol arrests: Indiana, Montana, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

The state with the largest drop in drug and alcohol arrests was Rhode Island. The article notes the state enrolls a small number of students, which means any change is amplified.