KIDS SAYING NO TO DRUGS AND CIGGARETTES MORE OFTEN

A new statewide survey indicates that among Indiana high school
students, cigarette smoking is holding steady or declining, but use of
snuff and chewing tobacco could be edging upward.

Overall youth drug use by sixth-through 12th-graders in Indiana is
down, according to latest annual survey by the Indiana Prevention
Resource Center at Indiana University's School of Health, Physical
Education and Recreation.

Daily use of smokeless tobacco by ninth-grade students has gone up
slightly, from 1.5 percent in 2001 to 1.9 percent in 2008, the survey
showed.

Among high school juniors, daily usage was reported at 2.9 percent in
2001 and 3.6 percent this year.

Ruth Gassman, director of the Indiana prevention center, noted
students in grades nine through 12 are using smokeless tobacco far
less than reported rates in the 1990s, but some students now could be
substituting those products in place of cigarettes.

"The reasons may have to do with cigarette price increases and/or
smoking prohibition in public places such as schools, malls and
restaurants," Gassman said.

Survey data was not broken down by region of the state. The
Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp. participates in the survey every
other year, but it is not included in the 2008 report.

The results came from a sample of 448 schools and 152,732 sixth-
through 12th-graders attending public and private schools who chose
to participate.

The survey points to an increase in injection drug use among high
school students since questions addressing this were added in 2001.

The trend continued in 2008 for sophomores and seniors, both of which
reported an all-time high in use rates.

Monthly use of injection drugs increased among sophomores from 0.8
percent in 2000 to 1.2 percent in 2008.

Among seniors, usage in 2000 was 0.6 percent, compared with 1.2
percent in 2008.

Other findings:

- - Lifetime, annual and monthly use of alcohol, as well as binge
drinking, decreased or held steady for students in all grades.

- - Compared with last year, the reported usage of methamphetamine
either held steady or declined across all grade levels.

That's consistent with a trend in decreasing meth use seen since the
item was introduced to the survey in 2005, according to IU.

- - With a few exceptions, the rates of Ritalin or Adderall use held
steady or was lower this year compared with last year. Lifetime and
annual use of the drugs increased for 11th-graders and monthly use
increased for 12th-graders.

- - For the first time, survey results were reported according to
gender. Males were the majority users of most drugs in almost every
grade.

However, seven drugs had a female majority of users in grades six
through nine. Those drugs were mostly prescription and
over-the-counter medications.

- - The average age of first use of traditional "gateway" drugs --
tobacco, alcohol and marijuana -- increased, and IU officials said
they view that development positively, because research shows
delaying the onset of drug use prevents an array of related negative
consequences.

According to the survey, the average age of first use for alcohol was
13, 12.7 for cigarettes and 13.8 for marijuana.