32 Drug Survey Questions for Students: Ultimate Guide & Samples

Attitude & Perception Question Type

Why and When to Use

Understanding student attitudes and beliefs is basically getting a sneak peek inside their heads. Are they convinced that “everyone vapes?” Do they see marijuana as harmless? These questions uncover the value systems and social norms that shape real choices.

Crafting the right tone for a prevention campaign is only possible with this insight. Want to know if recent health fairs, classroom visits, or a trending TikTok campaign actually changed anyone’s mind? Pop in some attitude and perception questions post-campaign and watch for the shifts.

These questions reveal: - Whether risky behaviors are normalized or seen as “no big deal” - Which substances students view as dangerous or “safe” - How much students trust adults or the school to respond

If students feel school staff don’t take threats seriously, any rules or education coming their way might just fall flat. It’s all about connection before correction.

Five Sample Questions

1. How wrong do you think it is for someone your age to drink alcohol every weekend? (Likert scale)
2. Using marijuana occasionally is a normal part of teenage life. (Strongly agree → Strongly disagree)
3. People who use prescription painkillers without a doctor’s order are making a risky choice.
4. My school takes drug misuse seriously.
5. Getting caught with drugs would significantly affect my future plans.

A study found that 84% of French university students overestimated tobacco use prevalence among their peers, highlighting significant misperceptions in substance use norms. (bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com)

Behavioral Frequency Question Type

Why and When to Use

What’s more helpful than knowing what students think? Knowing what they actually do. Behavioral frequency questions capture current and past use. This makes them a goldmine for tracking trends, understanding where intervention is needed most, and measuring whether prevention programs are doing the trick.

Prevalence statistics depend on honest answers. So, these questions definitely work best if students see the survey as anonymous and confidential. That means no names, no ID numbers, and no way for responses to come back to haunt anyone.

They’re perfect for: - Annual audits comparing rates year to year - Schools or districts seeing sudden spikes in local substance issues - Programs needing hard evidence to secure funding

These questions help separate rumor from reality—because sometimes, the loudest voices online aren’t the most truthful ones.

Five Sample Questions

1. During the past 30 days, on how many days did you drink alcohol?
2. How often have you used prescription stimulants without a prescription in the last 12 months?
3. Have you ever tried vaping THC? If yes, how many times?
4. At what age did you first try any illegal drug?
5. How many of your last 10 social events involved substance use?

Intent & Future Use Question Type

Why and When to Use

Wouldn’t it be handy to predict the future? These questions come pretty close. Exploring intent and likelihood of future use often lets schools and public health teams spot problems—and opportunities—before they blow up into real emergencies.

Timing is everything. Deploy future-use questions before those peek-risk times such as spring break, prom week, or the start of college. They’ll flag students who might need extra attention, support, or resources to handle pressure in risky moments.

This strategy is also smart because: - It lets teams adjust communications or assemblies just in time - You can prioritize who might benefit most from community referrals or small-group mentoring - Predicting risk is much easier with students’ honest expectations in hand

Think of these as your “early warning system”—not a crystal ball, but maybe the next best thing.

Five Sample Questions

1. Do you think you will drink alcohol in the next 30 days?
2. How likely are you to try cannabis in the coming year?
3. If offered prescription painkillers by a friend, would you take them?
4. What is the chance that you will vape nicotine this weekend?
5. Rate your likelihood of using any illicit drug while at college.

Asking students about their current drug use in surveys does not increase their future substance use. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)

Social Influence & Peer Pressure Question Type

Why and When to Use

Middle school and high school are prime time for peer pressure to flex its muscles. These questions give crystal-clear insight into how much social circles shape choices about drinking, vaping, or experimenting.

Whether the pressure’s real, imagined, or just a side effect of wanting to fit in, understanding this allows educators and leaders to tailor responses. Peer-led programs, buddy systems, and strong positive-norm messaging can all be targeted where peer influence is strongest.

Use these questions especially when: - Introducing new mentorship or peer ambassador programs - Trying to bust persistent myths like “everyone’s doing it” - Supporting youth leaders to push positive behaviors

Social influence is a two-way street—it can be a liability, but also a secret weapon for better choices.

Five Sample Questions

1. How many of your closest friends have tried alcohol?
2. I feel pressure to use drugs to fit in with my friends.
3. My friends would think less of me if I refused drugs.
4. Most students at my school use marijuana.
5. I have been offered drugs at a party in the past six months.

Access & Availability Question Type

Why and When to Use

Knowing what drives temptations isn’t enough; it matters a lot whether substances are actually accessible. Access and availability questions dig into how easy it is for students to get their hands on risky substances. These responses can point administrators and law enforcement exactly where to act—without just guessing.

This question type is a must before shifting campus security, adjusting vending policies, or launching neighborhood partnerships. It also tells prevention teams if resources (like safe disposal sites or education campaigns) are actually needed.

Other ways schools and organizations use this data: - To decide where more adult supervision or security might be needed - To identify local businesses or neighborhoods as possible “hot spots” - To spot emerging trends, like online purchases of vaping supplies

Knowing if substances are just a click, walk, or friend away changes the strategy completely.

Five Sample Questions

1. How easy would it be for you to get alcohol if you wanted it?
2. Where do students most often obtain prescription drugs for nonmedical use?
3. Can you purchase vaping supplies within walking distance of school?
4. Do you know someone who sells illegal drugs in your neighborhood?
5. Rate the difficulty of ordering THC products online.

Consequences & Risk Perception Question Type

Why and When to Use

If students don’t see any real consequences or dangers, even the best prevention messages can bounce right off. Questions about consequences and risk help reveal if students truly get the serious potential fallout—health-wise, academically, or legally.

These questions are most potent right after big events. Policy changes, major incidents, or media coverage can all stir up awareness (or confusion). That’s a golden opportunity to test whether your risk communication hit home.

Schools use this insight to: - Refine messages, so consequences are both clear and personalized - Find out where students are underestimating risk (and beef up efforts accordingly) - Support more targeted counseling for at-risk groups

When the myths are larger than life, these questions bring reality into focus.

Five Sample Questions

1. Using cocaine one time can lead to addiction. (True/False)
2. How harmful do you think binge drinking is to your health?
3. If caught with drugs at school, what disciplinary action do you expect?
4. Driving after using cannabis increases accident risk.
5. Missing classes due to a hangover negatively affects grades.

Best Practices: Dos and Don’ts for Crafting Student Drug Surveys

No matter how brilliant your questionnaire, a few best practices will make or break the results. If students don’t feel safe or the questions are confusing, you’ll lose honesty and engagement.

Here’s the winning formula, boiled down:

• Do ensure anonymity and confidentiality; make sure no identifying info makes students clam up.
• Don’t use student names, IDs, or emails; even birth dates can discourage the truth.
• Do use age-appropriate, everyday language; skip the medical jargon that could trip up younger or less fluent students.
• Don’t stuff the survey with words students would never use or understand.
• Do pilot your questions with a small focus group to iron out misunderstandings and double meanings.
• Don’t assume what works for one region or school works everywhere; slang and norms shift fast.
• Do aim for a mix of question types for well-rounded data—but keep it short!
• Don’t let surveys drag on for more than 15-20 minutes or students lose focus.
• Do always comply with ethical rules and parental consent; inform students about why the survey exists and what will happen to the results.
• Don’t skip approvals from the school board or institutional review bodies, or skip crucial permissions.

Design your survey with care, and you’ll get insights you can trust—plus, maybe even some grins from students who feel heard.

Drug surveys are small tools with outsize impact. With the right mix of question types, they help educators and leaders tune in to what’s happening below the surface. Prioritize clarity, honesty, and respectful engagement, and surveys will do more than just gather data—they’ll help build the foundation for smarter, safer schools. Use these tips and sample questions, and you’ll be ahead of the curve (and your next campaign will thank you).