SUBSTANCE USE SURVEY SAYS FEWER ARE USING

Windsor School District students may not be using drugs and alcohol as
often as in the past, according to results from the Healthy Kids Colorado
Survey that were being circulated Thursday.

The survey, which was given to Windsor students in the 6th, 8th and 10th
grades, is used to evaluate general behavioral practices that may help
and/or hinder the learning progress. The results of the survey have been
shared with administrators and principals. The results will soon be
released to the public in newsletters at the high school and middle school,
district officials say.

The 2007-2008 HKCS survey shows declines for 10th grade students from a
year ago in the use of cigarettes, alcohol, and marijuana.

Among the survey's findings:

- - The number of 10th grade students who admitted to smoking cigarettes in
the past 30 days dropped 5 percent from a year ago.

- - The number of 10th grade students who said they drank alcohol in the past
30 days dropped 9 percent from a year ago.

- - The number of 10th grade students who said they smoked marijuana in the
past 30 days dropped 5 percent.

Windsor School District Superintendent Karen Trusler said Thursday that
while the numbers are encouraging, there still remains room for improvement.

"We've seen a drop this year or last year in at-risk behavior and that's
good," Trusler said. "It's definitely not where we want to be but this is a
community issue.

"I do believe our implementation of health at the middle school has been
instrumental (in the lower percentages). We plan to implement health at the
high school next year. It should help, too."

Trusler said the drug and alcohol handbook that has been distributed
district-wide and the workshops that have been conducted recently are
helping but more is needed to be done.

"We have many students who do not experiment," Trusler said.

"But we do have some who do have an issue. We need to take care of those
students."

Windsor School District Director of Instruction Jeanne Findley could not be
reached for comment.