SURVEY: STUDENTS SNUB DRUGS

Smoking, alcohol abuse also down

The use of cigarettes, alcohol and other drugs continues to decline among
most groups of Oldham County students, according to an annual survey.

Results from the Kentucky Incentives for Prevention survey by Challengers,
an anti-drug organization in Oldham County, indicate a dramatic decrease in
student smoking.

Less than half the number of sophomores and seniors who reported smoking
when Challengers started surveying students in fall 1999 reported smoking
this year.

The proportion of sophomore smokers dropped from 32 percent in 1999 to 12
percent this year. For seniors, the decline was from 40 percent to 19
percent.

The decrease in just the last year was significant in all grades -- 4
percentage points among eighth-graders, 11 points among sophomores and 12
points among seniors. One percent of sixth-graders reported smoking in each
year.

Challengers director Debbie Lorence credits the good news to the six years
of work the organization has done with schools and parents to combat youth
use of tobacco, alcohol and other drugs.

"Obviously, we're doing something right," Lorence said.

The survey, which is anonymous but unscientific, was given to students in
class last fall. Students were asked about their use of and perceptions
about substances. It was given to 2,731 students, in grades six, eight, 10
and 12 at Oldham's public schools. The state pays for the survey.

According to the results, alcohol, cigarettes and marijuana continue to be
the drugs of choice, with mostly single-digit responses of reported use of
other substances, including inhalants, cocaine, over-the-counter drugs,
OxyContin and ecstasy.

Few students reported binge drinking, which is defined as having five or
more alcoholic drinks in a row. About 10 percent of sophomores and seniors
said they had binged once in the two weeks prior to being surveyed. About
the same percentage of students in those grades reported bingeing three or
more times during that same period.

Although Challengers leaders are pleased with the overall results, some
statistics on usage have either remained the same or risen. Six percent of
seniors reported misusing narcotics in fall 1999; this year it was 13
percent. The proportion of seniors who reported drinking alcohol remained
the same, 44 percent.

Most students said it would be wrong for someone their age to drink
regularly or to do any marijuana smoking. Nearly all sixth-graders said that
would be wrong, as did more than half of students in the higher grades
surveyed.

The lowest response was that of high school seniors, 46 percent of whom said
drinking regularly is wrong; 61 percent said they disapproved of marijuana
use.

Lorence credited Challengers' collaboration with schools for the
improvements.

For example, the group hired Amory Hicks to keep office hours in high
schools to coordinate smoking-cessation programs and work with groups of
students, among other duties.

Challengers also started a campaign a couple of years ago, placing posters
in schools and ads in the local newspaper reminding students that a majority
of students aren't using substances illegally. If 35 percent of sophomores
reported drinking alcohol, for instance, that means 65 percent don't drink.

South Oldham High School sophomore Paul Kalbfleisch said some students may
think many of their classmates drink or smoke, but it's really just the same
few students who are doing it.

"If you see it every day, you think everyone is using it," Paul said, adding
the campaign publicizing social norms seems to have a positive effect.

Although Challengers works closely with Oldham schools, Michael Williams,
who oversees anti-drug programs for the school system and serves on
Challengers' board, emphasized that youth drug and alcohol use isn't a
school problem but a community problem.

And that's where another effort by the Challengers comes in.

Lorence said she wants to get the message out to parents that they are the
biggest influence in their children's lives, especially when it comes to
experimentation and use of drugs and alcohol.

"If you specifically tell your kids that you think it's wrong, that would be
the most powerful weapon we have," Lorence said. "The more kids feel their
parents think it's wrong, the less likely they are to use."

She also hopes to build the Challengers coalition, attracting more parents
and business people to join.