'99 TEEN HEALTH SURVEY SHOWS SOME GOOD NEWS ABOUT CITY'S SCHOOLKIDS But Responses About Gangs And Suicide Concern District These are the vital signs of Seattle's high school students: Nearly half have tried marijuana, 6 percent have tried cocaine and 17 percent have tried hallucinogens. More than 30 percent got in a car with a drunk driver at least once in a one-month period. One-fifth seriously considered suicide last year. Forty percent have had sex. That's the profile created by the Seattle Public Schools' 1999 Teen Health Survey, a comprehensive look at the well-being of more than 10,000 middle and high school students. The survey, last conducted in 1995, looked at everything from mental health to drug use, violence to volunteering, sex to schoolwork. Although most survey areas stayed virtually the same, results show that fewer of today's students are smoking, drinking or experimenting with heroin. Fewer are having sexual intercourse or getting pregnant. Harassment and fighting are down as well. "This is great news for our city. This is great news for our district and, most of all, this is great news for our kids," Seattle Superintendent Joseph Olchefske said. But he cautioned that much work remains to be done. The percentage of students reporting suicide attempts, gang involvement and carrying weapons at school stayed about the same compared to 1995. Even some areas that showed significant improvements remain troubling. The percentage of eighth-graders who have tried alcohol, for example, dropped significantly, but still remains at about 41 percent. The Seattle survey is one of 16 in the nation funded by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Other agencies that provided funding include Public Health-Seattle & King County and the Seattle Families and Education Levy. The results will be used to evaluate and direct funding to programs that school officials believe have helped reduce risky behavior. In 1995, eighth-graders indicated high risk behavior, prompting the Seattle district to increase programs at middle schools. Those programs appear to have made a difference. "Every drug variable in the survey is down for grade eight students," noted Pamela Hillard, program manager for health education in the Seattle district. Written comments in the report, submitted by students, are evidence of what worries today's teens. As a whole, students said they want more health education, better classes and teachers, consistent school policies on drug use and weapons, and more after-school activities. "The staff seems most concerned (with) setting you up for your future, which is wonderful, but in reality, most teens are only thinking of the here and now," a student wrote. "If you're a 17 yr (sic) old girl and you're thinking 'Oh God, am I pregnant?' how concerned are you really gonna be (with) getting your GPA up to a respectable (number)?" Another student wrote: "If students weren't worried about the consiquences (sic) of telling an adult about doing drugs, then adults could help students get home safety (sic) when they've been using drugs, rather than us being forced to drive." And addressing the subject of race, another student wrote that "students in my school are not really getting along well." All blacks, whites and Asians stay "all together" in their racial groups, the student said. Olchefske said the survey results underscored the need to link school and community activities, to make sure every student has a positive adult contact in the school, and to get every staff member involved in fostering safe schools. "Hiring a few more counselors . . . (or) security guards is not the answer," he said.
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