SURVEY SHOWS ALARMING DRUG USE AT PORTSMOUTH HIGH

PORTSMOUTH - A high percentage of students at Portsmouth High School have
reported using drugs and alcohol in a recently released survey, and school
administrators are looking for ways to solve this problem.

Eighty-three percent of the teen-agers who participated in the study
reported using tobacco, alcohol, marijuana or other drugs at some point in
their lifetime, according to a report released at a press conference at
City Hall on Friday.

Lyonel Tracy, superintendent of the Portsmouth School Department, said the
community must rally to solve this problem.

"This is a call to arms for the community to reduce the amount of drug
use," he said. "The cops cannot do it alone."

The survey was conducted as a joint project between the Department of
Health and Human Services and the evaluation team of the New Hampshire
State Incentive Grant. The voluntary survey was administered through
Clipper Health Services from Feb. 9 to Feb. 12.

About 791 students participated - about 75 percent of the total enrollment.

Of the survey respondents, 48 percent are girls and 52 percent are boys.

There were 223 students that participated from Grade 9, about 82 percent of
the entire grade; 219 from Grade 10, representing 83 percent of that grade;
188 from Grade 11, representing 71 percent of 11th-graders; and 156 from
Grade 12, representing 58 percent of the senior class.

Seventy-seven percent of ninth- and 10th-graders reported using tobacco,
alcohol, marijuana or other drugs at some point in their lifetime, compared
with 93 percent of 11th- and 12th-graders.

Fifty-two percent of the teen-agers reported drinking alcohol at least once
during the past month. Three percent reported drinking alcohol on school
property in the past month.

The report also had statistics on so-called binge drinking - the
consumption of five drinks or more at a sitting. The study showed 34
percent of teen-age students admitted engaging in binge drinking in the
past month.

Also, according to the study, 24 percent of the students said they have
ridden in a vehicle in the past month driven by someone who had been
drinking alcohol. Twelve percent of the teens reported driving a vehicle in
the past month when they had been drinking alcohol.

Fifty-percent of the teen-agers reported using marijuana at least once in
their lifetime. Also, 36 percent reported using marijuana in the past month
and 24 percent had reported initial use of the drug at age 12 or younger.

On cigarette use, 24 percent reported having smoked cigarettes daily for at
least a 30-day period at some point in their lifetime.

The report also contained information about use of other substances
including cocaine, heroin, inhalants, amphetamines, methamphetamines and
steroids. Thirty-two percent of the teen-agers reported use of at least one
of those substances at some point in their lives. Of these substances,
amphetamines and methamphetamines are most commonly used.

Three percent of the students reported ever injecting illegal substances.

Also, 37 percent of the teen-agers reported being offered, sold or given an
illegal drug on school property in the past year.

The report also had a section on violence. Twelve percent of the teen-
agers reported carrying a weapon such as a gun, knife or club on at least
one occasion in the past month and 28 percent reported being in a physical
fight at least once in the past year.

Tracy said the community must focus on these problems - particularly on the
drug and alcohol use. He said nationally, less attention has been focused
on drug use prevention in recent years.

Police Chief Brad Russ said the conference he and several members of the
School Department attended in Alexandria, Va., last month will serve the
community well in addressing these problems.

"This is a unique opportunity for us to build upon that," he said.

The five-day program dealt with the cause of unsafe schools and the process
that should be followed to address safety concerns.

Tracy said the study validated anecdotal evidence that the school had of a
high level of alcohol use among students. Through Portsmouth High School's
Resource Officer Kevin Samprini, the school had heard about off-campus
parties at people's houses and at hotels.

Portsmouth police Lt. Bob Carbone said the study shows that students are
illegally obtaining alcohol and using it, and underage consumption of
alcohol must be stopped.

"We have to work as a coalition to address this at all levels," he said.

Tracy said having a school resource officer can help to reduce drug and
alcohol use and violence among teen-age students.

"A school resource officer is really the key person in sharing information
about our kids so we can prevent them from doing harm to each other or
themselves," he said.

Tracy also wants to work with the juvenile probation officer and the
juvenile justice attorney to find out the reasons teen-agers are using
drugs and alcohol.

The school plans to hold more workshops and group sessions with the
students as well, Tracy said.

"We've also got to look through the eyes of these teen-agers and help them
change their lives and change their behavior," he said.