They mention cost of living a lot in the article. They also point out that there's way lower drug use. On top of cost of living I bet a lot of people are getting their escapism from games and Internet instead.
I think the fact that almost anything might be laced with a lethal dose of fentanyl these days could also be a contributor. A lot of drugs are just white powder… makes it hard to know what’s in it in a party setting.
I don't know about you, but I'm not bringing test strips to every party, cause I'm not automatically assuming that every party will have drugs. Drugs at a party are the kind of thing that randomly shows up when you least expect it, so it's not always easy to be prepared.
Plus entry fee. I grew up in a college town and went to the same university. There was a nightclub there (still there amazingly) that had beer for a dime after you paid the cover fee on Tuesdays. I think the entry fee was something like $5, if that.
This has to be some sort of penis based loss leader for them right? Like get the dudes sloshed on cheap beer so they'll buy pricier drinks for women they hit on. I hate to say it but that strategy would definately have worked on me when I was college age.