Many students get lower grades thanks to drugs and alcohol abuse

Many students take drugs,, Photo: Sara Johannessen / SCANPIX NB! Modellklarert

12 percent of male students believe substance abuse habits are affecting their study, and among female students the proportion is 6 percent.

This was the findings of a survey conducted by Sentio for Universitas and the Norwegian Student Organization (NSO).
According to Vice President Jørg Morland at the Institute of Public Health (FHI), alcohol is the drug that most affect our brain cells, and our learning ability deteriorate after one glass of wine.
– The intellectual capacity is reduced, and the likelihood of incorrect conclusions increases. There is a time lag before the alcohol effect disappears and if you have a hang-over in the library,  you are a less effective student than you otherwise would be, says Morland.
Regular visits out on the town can affect your cognitive ability, also the following day, says Morland.
– If you are a regular substance user over a longer period of time it can cause a prolonged failure in the learning ability, even a long time after you have stopped drinking, he says.
In total there are 7 percent of students who believe they indulge themselves to a lower academic achievement.
Professor Jørgen Bramness at the Centre for Addiction Research believes this is probably an under estimation because we are not always good at acknowledging the negative consequences of our own drug and alcohol use.

Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today