In mid-August, I spent a summer evening in a pizza restaurant debriefing my freshman year with close friends. In between discussions of our friend groups and favorite classes, we delved into the topic of partying and substance use. Eventually, I brought up the commonly used hard drugs a considerable portion of Tulane University’s student body consumes, and the dinner table went silent. Expressions of shock and concern appeared on their faces. I realized that something that was normalized in my college community was abnormal and somewhat deviant for others. 

New Orleans is a city well-known for its vibrant party life. There are parades, historic bars and the lively Bourbon Street. During Mardi Gras, Tulane students enter a week of excessive partying and substance use. Broadway street is filled with young adults dressed in colorful costumes and doused in glitter, hopping between frat parties and local bars. Sidewalks and street curbs are covered in metal whippet bottles, which are consumed excessively during Mardi Gras festivities.   

During this celebratory week, hard drug use is prevalent and easily accessible from college students themselves. The use is so widespread that organizations, such as Students for Sensible Drug Policy, have provided students with fentanyl testing strips.  

Tulane even published a statement in 2017 that spoke about the excessive use of substances threatening the health and wellbeing of students. The statement discussed the importance of changing campus culture and holding one another accountable. It also mentioned that Tulane’s substance abuse is a part of a national problem. 

It is difficult to suggest a solution to this issue that will make a real difference. Partying and social activity is ingrained in Tulane’s culture and in undergraduate culture nationwide, and any call for change by the administration will not do anything. 

I have never been a part of an environment where drug use is so normalized and practiced. I didn’t become aware of it until I returned home and engaged in discussions with others. The drug culture at Tulane perpetuates addiction and makes drug abuse seem casual.  

Students are exposed to a myriad of factors that differ from their home environment. Being surrounded by individuals of the same age with similar interests can encourage indulgence in deviant activities. We as students find ourselves with a freedom that allows us to make decisions on our own. Being in a culture that normalizes hard drug consumption can lead to peer pressure, or a desire to “match the energy” of others. 

From what I have noticed, Tulane students and college students nationwide don’t understand the severe consequences of addiction and drug consumption. It has become a regular part of many students’ weekly routines and everyday life. I am curious to know how this excessive use will transfer to our lives outside of college and after graduation. I wonder if many individuals find ways to continue such activity. One can hope that the change in the environment and demographics will be an incentive to settle down and stop casually consuming hard drugs.