THE LOW DOWN ON GETTING HIGH

When asked how common drug use is in middle school, one young girl
responded, "Not that much."

Another in the group was incredulous at this response and asked,
"Where do you go to school?"

Another student chimed in, "There's marijuana at school, I know there is."

Still another added, "I'm sure there is alcohol in our school. One
kid brought a bottle of alcohol to school and pretended it was something else."

The group of middle schoolers gathered at the Boys and Girls Club
location at Taylor Middle School shared stories about their peers.
All agreed that most students think it's "cool" to use drugs.

One thing most agreed on was that their parents would greatly
disapprove if they were found using drugs. If caught, they would be
in deep trouble and have to pay the consequences. One boy said, "My
mother would skin me alive if she ever caught me."

So what's the real picture of drug use among youth in Fauquier
County? The results are in from the Community That Cares Survey 2006,
sponsored by the Community Alliance for Drug Rehabilitation and
Education (CADRE). The good news is that, according to the survey,
there has been a steady decrease in the number of high schoolers
reporting drug use. Drug use among middle school-aged students,
however, remains constant.

At a recent Alliance for Youth meeting, CADRE executive director Tom
Harris reported findings from a survey administered in May and June
of 2006 to more than 4,500 middle and high school students in
Fauquier County. CADRE is a community coalition established for drug
prevention by concerned citizens. The survey has been given
periodically since 1990.

Harris explained, "The survey is designed to identify the levels of
risk and protective factors that predict problem behaviors such as
alcohol, tobacco and other drug use, poor school achievement and
delinquency. In addition, it attempts to measure the actual
prevalence of drug use, violence and other antisocial behaviors among
surveyed students."

The study identified several challenges for the community. Reported
abuse of prescription drugs has tripled since 2004. The survey
indicated that 44 middle school students abused prescription drugs
along with 215 high school students. That number is more than double
the figure for 2004, when the survey was last given. Alcohol
consumption is increasing among middle school students, and is now
the drug of choice.

Although the survey shows a decrease in high schoolers' monthly use
of cigarettes, alcohol, marijuana, inhalants and cocaine, the
reported use of these substances in Fauquier County for grades 6-12
is still above the national average. The only drug usage below the
national average is the use of hallucinogens.

Boys reported using alcohol, cigarettes, and marijuana more than
girls on a monthly basis, but when asked "Have you ever used
cocaine?" girls greatly outnumbered boys; 4.3 percent of girls
surveyed said they used cocaine and only 2.3 percent of boys reported using it.

When 12th-graders were asked, "Have you ever used methamphetamines?"
only females reported using the drug; no 12th-grade males reported
ever having used it. The survey revealed that eight middle school
students admitted to having used heroin, along with 21 high schoolers.

Although students said that it is easy to obtain gateway drugs, it is
reportedly more difficult in 2006 to obtain illegal drugs such as
cocaine, amphetamines and LSD than it was in 2004.

For those students who have used gateway drugs, the average age they
first tried alcohol is 12.4, the average age for tobacco is 13 and
average age for first use of marijuana is 14.2. Almost 14 percent of
the survey population said they have been drunk or "high" at school.
Thirty-six percent of those surveyed knew one or more adults who used drugs.

What can be done to address this problem? CADRE has outlined a Five
Point Attack for community action as a response to the survey. "We
want to spread the word out as much as possible."

Harris shared the plans:

- - Step up media campaign and increase parent education

- - Support community groups that work with at-risk youth

- - Encourage prevention curriculum in our schools

- - Encourage and support strict underage alcohol and tobacco enforcement

- - Increase treatment intervention programs for youth in our community

The survey was funded by CADRE, by a grant from the U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Services Agency (SAMHSA) and the Drug Free Community Support Program.
Founded in 1989, the goal of CADRE is to reduce substance abuse in
Fauquier County. The coalition partners with concerned citizens,
educators, parents, students, counselors, law enforcers and business
people. CADRE's Web site is www.fauquier-cadre.org .