A survey of hallucinogenic mushroom use, factors related to usage, and perceptions of use among college students.
Drug and Alcohol Dependence June 1, 2013 Robert M. Hallock, Andrew Dean, Zachary A Knecht et al.
A survey of 882 randomly selected undergraduates at Skidmore College in upstate New York found that 29.5% of the 409 respondents had used psilocybin mushrooms, with a mean of 3.4 lifetime uses. Top reasons for first use were curiosity, desire for a mystical experience, and introspection. Non-users were more likely than users to perceive mushrooms as addictive and having abuse potential. Users did not believe psilocybin negatively affects academics, mental health, or physical health, whereas non-users did. Both groups reported high lifetime use of alcohol, marijuana, and tobacco, but psilocybin users were significantly more likely to also use cocaine, ecstasy, opiates, non-prescribed prescription drugs, and LSD.