Students who take illegal drugs are convinced they won't get addicted and are ignoring the long-term health risks, despite more than a third experiencing a "bad trip", a study has found.
More than nine in 10 students who have tried drugs say they are not addicted at all and not worried about future addiction, according to a survey by StudentBeans.
Only 5% of respondents said although they did not feel they were currently addicted, they were worried about becoming addicted.
Students are also ignoring the long-term health implications, with 39% saying they had experienced a bad trip. Another 28% admitted to experiencing paranoia as a result of taking drugs, with 26% lacking motivation, 22% having anxiety and 14% depression.
Chris Hudson, a spokesperson for drugs charity FRANK, emphasised drug taking, even legal-high use, is "never risk free".
"The effects of drugs can be different for different people," the addictions expert said. "The longer you can use drugs the higher the chance you'll be affected.
The longer you use drugs the higher the chance is that you'll be affected. Regular and long-term cannabis use can increase the risk of developing psychotic illnesses, including schizophrenia, make asthma worse, lead to lung cancer and its reported that it can cut a man's sperm count and can suppress ovulation in women. Over time ketamine can affect the bladder making it extremely painful and difficult when passing urine, whilst cocaine can eat away the cartilage in the nose leaving just one really big nostril and a misshapen nose.”
“However, you don't have to be using drugs regularly for your health to be affected. Just using ecstasy once can raise the body's temperature, cause convulsions and heart problems. It's better not to take the risk."
Oliver Brann, editor of the StudentBeans site, added: “Although drug addiction and serious health related consequences seem far removed from university life, it’s vital that students are aware of the risks."
The research questioned more than 1,400 university students and published the results on Tuesday.
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