News (Media Awareness Project) - US TX: Substance Use Declines Among Teens In Texas |
| Title: | US TX: Substance Use Declines Among Teens In Texas |
| Published On: | 2000-09-19 |
| Source: | Dallas Morning News (TX) |
| Fetched On: | 2008-09-03 08:18:45 |
SUBSTANCE USE DECLINES AMONG TEENS IN TEXAS
But Rate May Still Exceed 1990
AUSTIN - Drug and alcohol use among Texas students has declined in the last two years, but in many cases student drug use is higher than it was 10 years ago, according to a state study released Monday.
The Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse asked more than 200,000 students in grades 4-12 last spring about their experiences with tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, heroin, cocaine, ecstasy and other drugs. Overall, the percentage of students who said they had used alcohol, tobacco or illicit drugs declined compared with their answers in 1998, the last time the study was taken.
For example, 22.4 percent of seventh-through 12th-graders said they had used tobacco in the previous month, down from 26.3 percent in 1998. About 36 percent reported using alcohol in the previous month, down from 38 percent two years before.
The study, which has been conducted every other year since 1988, found similar declines among younger students between 1998 and 2000.
"There is a significant decline in many areas of use, specifically tobacco use and alcohol use," said Jay Kimbrough, executive director of the commission, which coordinates, oversees and funds many of the state's substance-abuse treatment and prevention programs. "These are good numbers for the state of Texas."
The numbers are not as encouraging over a 10-year period. Students' reported tobacco and alcohol use dropped over that time, but their reported use of other drugs increased, the study shows.
Last spring, 15.4 percent of seventh-through 12th-graders said they had used illicit drugs the previous month. Ten years ago, that figure was 9.5 percent, the study found.
The percentage saying they had used marijuana in the previous month increased from 7.8 percent to 13.7 percent over the 10-year period. And the percentage saying they had used ecstasy increased from 1.3 percent to 1.9 percent.
Since Gov. George W. Bush took office five years ago vowing to crack down on juvenile crime, the percentage of teenagers saying they used alcohol and tobacco declined. But more students reported using other drugs, including inhalants, marijuana, cocaine, "uppers" and "downers," steroids and ecstasy, the study found.
In general, the Texas numbers mirror national trends, according to national studies cited by Texas officials Monday.
Mr. Kimbrough attributed the recent declines in Texas to prevention programs by schools, private groups and the state. But he said such groups must do even better.
"Almost 700,000 Texas schoolchildren use alcohol, and more than half a million are heavy drinkers," Mr. Kimbrough said. "These programs point to the need for a more organized and comprehensive and coordinated effort to deal with this very serious issue."
A new alliance of more than 45 state agencies and private groups is devoted to curbing underage drinking, which Mr. Kimbrough called the "Number 1 problem" facing young people. The Alliance Against Underage Drinking, which includes the Texas Department of Health, the Wholesale Beer Distributors of Texas and Mothers Against Drunk Driving, has a new Web site at www.2young2drink.com.
And students from all over the country will convene in Washington this month for a National Youth Summit to Prevent Underage Drinking.
Joe Wiese, director of prevention for the commission on alcohol and drug abuse, applauded such efforts, saying the anti-drug and anti-drinking messages weren't as strong as they should have been during parts of the last two decades.
"You can see some significant decreases from the mid-'80s through the mid-'90s," Mr. Wiese said, referring to funding for prevention efforts.
The commission spent $67.8 million on prevention and intervention programs in 1999, up from $36.2 million in 1994. In between, the figure dipped as low as $27.1 million in 1996, when the agency was forced into conservatorship because of fraud and mismanagement.
Jane Maxwell, director of research at the commission, said that consistency is key in prevention campaigns.
"We have to keep up the efforts year after year," Dr. Maxwell said. In the mid-1990s, she said, "everybody let up on it. It wasn't a priority anymore, and you saw the increase in drug use. You have to keep up the message that drugs and alcohol are dangerous."
But Rate May Still Exceed 1990
AUSTIN - Drug and alcohol use among Texas students has declined in the last two years, but in many cases student drug use is higher than it was 10 years ago, according to a state study released Monday.
The Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse asked more than 200,000 students in grades 4-12 last spring about their experiences with tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, heroin, cocaine, ecstasy and other drugs. Overall, the percentage of students who said they had used alcohol, tobacco or illicit drugs declined compared with their answers in 1998, the last time the study was taken.
For example, 22.4 percent of seventh-through 12th-graders said they had used tobacco in the previous month, down from 26.3 percent in 1998. About 36 percent reported using alcohol in the previous month, down from 38 percent two years before.
The study, which has been conducted every other year since 1988, found similar declines among younger students between 1998 and 2000.
"There is a significant decline in many areas of use, specifically tobacco use and alcohol use," said Jay Kimbrough, executive director of the commission, which coordinates, oversees and funds many of the state's substance-abuse treatment and prevention programs. "These are good numbers for the state of Texas."
The numbers are not as encouraging over a 10-year period. Students' reported tobacco and alcohol use dropped over that time, but their reported use of other drugs increased, the study shows.
Last spring, 15.4 percent of seventh-through 12th-graders said they had used illicit drugs the previous month. Ten years ago, that figure was 9.5 percent, the study found.
The percentage saying they had used marijuana in the previous month increased from 7.8 percent to 13.7 percent over the 10-year period. And the percentage saying they had used ecstasy increased from 1.3 percent to 1.9 percent.
Since Gov. George W. Bush took office five years ago vowing to crack down on juvenile crime, the percentage of teenagers saying they used alcohol and tobacco declined. But more students reported using other drugs, including inhalants, marijuana, cocaine, "uppers" and "downers," steroids and ecstasy, the study found.
In general, the Texas numbers mirror national trends, according to national studies cited by Texas officials Monday.
Mr. Kimbrough attributed the recent declines in Texas to prevention programs by schools, private groups and the state. But he said such groups must do even better.
"Almost 700,000 Texas schoolchildren use alcohol, and more than half a million are heavy drinkers," Mr. Kimbrough said. "These programs point to the need for a more organized and comprehensive and coordinated effort to deal with this very serious issue."
A new alliance of more than 45 state agencies and private groups is devoted to curbing underage drinking, which Mr. Kimbrough called the "Number 1 problem" facing young people. The Alliance Against Underage Drinking, which includes the Texas Department of Health, the Wholesale Beer Distributors of Texas and Mothers Against Drunk Driving, has a new Web site at www.2young2drink.com.
And students from all over the country will convene in Washington this month for a National Youth Summit to Prevent Underage Drinking.
Joe Wiese, director of prevention for the commission on alcohol and drug abuse, applauded such efforts, saying the anti-drug and anti-drinking messages weren't as strong as they should have been during parts of the last two decades.
"You can see some significant decreases from the mid-'80s through the mid-'90s," Mr. Wiese said, referring to funding for prevention efforts.
The commission spent $67.8 million on prevention and intervention programs in 1999, up from $36.2 million in 1994. In between, the figure dipped as low as $27.1 million in 1996, when the agency was forced into conservatorship because of fraud and mismanagement.
Jane Maxwell, director of research at the commission, said that consistency is key in prevention campaigns.
"We have to keep up the efforts year after year," Dr. Maxwell said. In the mid-1990s, she said, "everybody let up on it. It wasn't a priority anymore, and you saw the increase in drug use. You have to keep up the message that drugs and alcohol are dangerous."
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