Half of students have used cannabis

Nearly half of third-level students have recently smoked cannabis and almost a third have recently taken ecstasy, research indicates.

Almost all of the 2,700 students surveyed — across more than 30 institutions — drink alcohol and a third said they engaged in binge drinking every week.

The findings have led to calls for more education and harm reduction messages in colleges, including on the risks posed by combining alcohol and illegal drugs and the higher potency of substances such as ecstasy.