CLARION COUNTY GETS FIRST REPORT CARD ON YOUTH DRUG, ALCOHOL USE

Students Score 2 Percent Higher Than the State Average in Both Areas of Usage.

CLARION - Clarion County has received its first comprehensive report
card on the hard facts and dangers of drug and alcohol use among its youth.

The revealing results indicate a little more than 28 percent of all
students surveyed have reported past 30-day use of alcohol, with 16
percent reporting binge drinking (consuming five or more drinks in a
row in the past two weeks).

In comparison with state averages, Clarion County is higher by 2
percent in both areas of usage.

Clarion County's Promise executive director Sheila Snyder said it
could be argued that with only 66 percent of youth "merely
experimenting" with alcohol, the past 30 day behaviors are relatively good.

However, most would agree that neither of these numbers are good, she said.

Every two years, the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency
conducts its statewide Pennsylvania Youth Survey (PAYS).

This survey is administered to participating sixth-, eighth-, 10th-,
and 12th-grade students. Since 2001, several individual school
districts have participated in this survey, however, 2005 was the
first year in which a countywide report was compiled.

Five of Clarion County's seven school districts administered the
survey, with 1,210 students participating.

Snyder said the report indicates that out of 1,210 students ages
11-18, almost 200 students in Clarion County have reported drinking
to get drunk, possibly on a regular basis.

Unfortunately, she said, alcohol is not the only problem facing our
youth today.

Among other drugs (excluding cigarettes, smokeless tobacco and
marijuana), inhalants, cocaine, and hallucinogens are reportedly the
most popular. Nearly 4 percent are using inhalants, 2.4 percent are
using cocaine, and 2.4 percent are using hallucinogens.

All of these percentages are higher than the state averages: 3.4
percent, 1.1 percent, and 1.4 percent, respectively.

In addition, Clarion County students' reported use of heroin is twice
the state average, and four times the state average in their use of
steroids. The survey also covers the risk and protective factors that
guard against alcohol, tobaco, and other drug use.

The statewide youth survey has been in use, although modified, since
1989. It is used to report on youth behaviors, attitudes and
knowledge of alcohol, tobacco, other drugs and violence. The 2005
data serves two purposes: First, it provides an important benchmark
for alcohol, tobacco, and other drug (ATOD) use and delinquent
behavior among the youth of Clarion County and the state.

This is primarily used to indicate whether prevention programs are
achieving their intended results. Secondly, the survey assesses risk
factors and protective factors that guard against ATOD abuse. The
survey questions youth on lifetime (experimentation) ATOD use and
their likely behavior (past 30-day use).

Risk factors are environmental conditions within their schools,
communities, peers and families that make them at higher risk for
drug use and behavioral problems. The protective factors in those
four domains are used to guard against those risks.

These factors can be compared to a healthy heart.

There are many things that doctors recommend for keeping our hearts
healthy, such as regular exercise, eating the proper diet,
maintaining a healthy weight and regular checkups. These things are
the protective factors that help keep you and your heart healthy and
functioning properly. Medical experts not only tell what keeps your
heart healthy, but they also tell you what things to avoid that are
potential dangers to your heart.

Smoking, eating lots of salt and unhealthy fats, and physical
inactivity are some of the risk factors that contribute to heart
disease. A doctor can provide a list of protective factors, or the
positive things that keep your heart healthy to prolong good health.

The same concept is applied among the youth of Clarion County, said Snyder.

Experts have come up with a list of researched protective factors
that help keep youth safe and allow them to grow up to be responsible adults.

They have also researched a list of risk factors that may increase ATOD use.

Community Meetings

To help make the community aware of these statistics and to receive
feedback on their communities, meetings are scheduled for all seven
county school district areas.

This is a collaborative effort between Clarion County's Promise, Penn
State Cooperative Extension in Clarion County, and Clarion County
Family Net. These meetings will have breakout sessions in the areas
of agriculture and natural resources, families and children, youth,
and community and economic development.

They are scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 20 at Clarion Area High
School, Feb. 22 at Clarion-Limestone High School, Feb. 22 at Union
High School, March 6 at Redbank Valley High School, March 8 at North
Clarion High School, March 13 at A-C Valley Elementary School, and
March 15 at Keystone Elementary School.

The public is invited to attend. Door prizes of $20 gas cards will be
given away.

More information on the community meetings, the youth survey, or
Clarion County's various prevention programs is available by calling
Clarion County's Promise at (814) 223-1590 or the Cooperative
Extension at (814) 223-9028.