NORTHVILLE HIGH SURVEY ON DRUG USE A MIXED BAG

8th-Graders Set Example For District

NORTHVILLE -- Lee Finch, a 15-year-old 10th-grader at Northville High
School, has never been offered drugs.

In fact, he thinks the whole idea that "everybody is doing it" is a
bit overblown.

Results of an annual survey of eighth-, 10th- and 12th-graders across
the district indicate Lee's opinion is well-founded, though district
officials aren't letting their guard down yet.

Conducted during the past school year by Western Michigan University,
the survey found that use of marijuana, alcohol and tobacco
significantly declined among eighth-graders over past years. Results
were mixed for 10th- and 12th-graders.

"At the high school, there are a few groups (using drugs), but there
isn't as much as people make out that there is," Lee said. "Some of it
is just talk in general, it's exaggerated."

Superintendent Leonard Rezmierski said he's encouraged by some of the
results, but he's concerned about substance abuse by even one student
in the district. The survey asked students about their use of
substances from tobacco to inhalants, steroids and narcotics.

"We believe that's the total picture of what our students may or may
not be enticed by, and we need to know that in order to work on it,"
Rezmierski said. "We have programs in place on all levels to deal with
alcohol and other substance abuse issues, (and) until we get to zero
the work is ongoing."

Northville was among about 50 districts statewide to participate in
the voluntary survey. It's up to each district whether to publicize
the results, and Northville has made its results public every year,
Rezmierski said. Complete results can be viewed on the district's Web
site, www.northville.k12.mi.us/.

Researchers surveyed 491 eighth-graders, 357 juniors and 370 seniors,
and asked if they had used various drugs in the past 30 days.

Among eighth-graders, 2.7 percent said they had used marijuana, down
from 4 percent last year, and from 9.5 percent in 1998. Cigarette
smoking was down from 12.3 percent in 2004-05, to 3.3 percent. And
alcohol use was down to 8 percent from 12.3 percent.

Tenth-graders also reported using less marijuana, but more reported
using alcohol or cigarettes in the past 30 days. Of students surveyed,
12.7 percent said they had used marijuana, compared with 14.1 percent
in 2004-05, and from 20.6 percent in 1998. Nearly 30 percent said they
had used alcohol, up from 23.6 percent the previous year. And 14.6
percent said they had smoked cigarettes, compared with 10.1 percent in
2004-05.

Of seniors, 24.2 percent reported smoking marijuana, up from 18.6
percent in 2004-05, but down from nearly 40 percent in 1998. Their
alcohol use also increased to 45.4 percent, from 43.1 percent the
previous year. And more reported smoking cigarettes: 22.3 percent,
compared with 19.4 percent the previous year.