Dressing in costume and the use of alcohol, marijuana, and other drugs by college students.

This study compared the behavior of college students who wore costumes on Halloween with those who did not. It was designed to examine the degree to which college students disguised their identity at Halloween, whether they masqueraded with a group, and whether these factors were related to alcohol and other drug use behaviors. The sample included 805 females and 448 males from two colleges. They were surveyed over a five-year period. The findings revealed significant associations between dressing in costume and drinking alcohol, and between masquerading with a group and using marijuana and other drugs. No significant associations were found between disguise of identity and the use of alcohol, marijuana, and other drugs.