DRUG USE IS DOWN IN NAZARETH

But survey finds that district students still exceed national average in
some areas.

A survey of drug and alcohol use among Nazareth Area School District's
middle and high school students shows the problems are not as pervasive as
they were when a similar survey was conducted in 1997.

But the results of the March questionnaire should be unsettling to parents
of the suburban district because Nazareth students' use of alcohol,
steroids, heroin and cocaine again ranked above the national averages.

And part of the problem, according to the results released during Monday's
school board meeting, is parents.

The study found that the only significant difference between the students
surveyed for the national figures and the 1,882 students in grades six
through 12 at Nazareth was their home life.

Nazareth students reported receiving more support from their families
compared with the national average. But they also reported more parent
permissiveness about the use of alcohol and drugs, which for the survey
included tobacco products.

Nazareth's director of pupil services, Paulette Obrecht, said the survey
seems to indicate the district needs to reach out to parents to help them
learn to be stricter with their children.

"Parents seem to be supportive, but maybe they are letting their children
get away with too much," Obrecht said. "Part of being a parent is saying,
'No, you can't do that.'"

Although the amount of family support Nazareth students reported receiving
was only slightly above the national average at most grade levels, the
amount of parent permissiveness was nearly twice as high as the national
average for some grades.

StudentView conducted the surveys in Nazareth in 1997 and this year under
the Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities Program.

According to 2000 survey, which was based on use in the preceding 12
months, the use of alcohol among students dropped from 70.4 percent in 1997
to 68 percent. The national average is 59.7 percent

The use of drugs in all categories except steroids also dropped.

Steroid use increased from 3 percent to 3.3 percent; the national average
is 1.7 percent.

In 1997, Nazareth students exceeded the national averages in all categories.

But this year, Nazareth students fell below the national averages for use
of cigarettes, 42.3 percent; marijuana, 17.9 percent; inhalants, 7.5
percent; psychedelic drugs, 5.2 percent; amphetamines, 5.9 percent; pills,
7.4 percent; and smokeless tobacco, 13.6 percent.

The national averages for cigarettes is 50.1 percent, marijuana, 21.6
percent; inhalants, 10.5 percent; psychedelic drugs, 6.4 percent;
amphetamines, 6.2 percent; pills, 7.5 percent; and smokeless tobacco, 20.5
percent.

However, Nazareth students remained above the 3.2 percent national average
for heroin use at 4 percent and above the 4 percent national average for
cocaine use at 4.4 percent.