Male marijuana smokers may have fertility problems, but NIU students can get help to combat drug abuse.

A study of 22 male college students who smoked marijuana at least twice a day showed marijuana components make it difficult for a man’s sperm to fertilize an egg.

“Sperm in semen are supposed to sit quietly and wait for their chance to get out of the semen,” said Dr. Lani Burkman, a researcher at the University of Buffalo. “The sperm of marijuana smokers when sitting in the semen were very, very active.”

It also was found that marijuana smokers only have about half as many sperm per volume of semen compared to men who do not smoke.

“It can take four to six months of marijuana abstinence for the sperm characteristics to return to normal,” Burkman said.

However, it is wrong to assume men don’t have to use birth control if they smoke marijuana, said Steve Lux, health educator at NIU’s Health Enhancement Services. Lux studied marijuana use for 30 years.

“The best way to prevent harm is to not use it at all,” Lux said.

He also said there is no potential for a legal threat if someone chooses to get help. Lux urged students to talk to a counselor if they think they are experiencing serious problems because of marijuana use.

“Our culture is so caught up with drug mania and drug phobia that we focus too much on the substance,” Lux said. “Drugs are always going to be out there. Our job as health professionals is to give people accurate and unbiased information about the risk and dangers of these substances so that people can make informed decisions.”

People find what they need through drug usage, Lux said.

“They use drugs because they think that they’re going to get something positive from it,” Lux said. “As a culture, we want things immediately – immediate relaxation and gratification – and that’s why drugs are so attractive.”

The Monitoring the Future National Survey Results on Drug Use stated the percentage of college students who used marijuana in 2002 was 34.7 percent, compared to 35.6 percent in 2001.

After alcohol, marijuana is the most-used drug for college students, Lux said.

Some students might see marijuana as a means of altering their consciousness, Lux said.

“Some people think that using a particular drug is a method of entertainment or a thrill,” Lux said. “It attracts a certain type of person, but they have to realize the risks that they have to face.”

Some of these risks include potential harm on emotions, psychological and physiological damage and trouble with the law.