Alcohol continues to be the most widely used drug among elementary school
students, although the rate has dropped in recent years, according to a
state survey.

"More than half of the kids who had tried alcohol said they began drinking
when they were 9 years old or younger," said Terry Faye Bleier, executive
director of the Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse.

The survey released Tuesday found that in 1998, 39.2 percent of
sixth-graders said they had tried alcohol, down from 56.5 percent in 1990.
The commission also reported that of Texas students in grades four through
six, 36 percent had used alcohol, tobacco, marijuana or inhalants at some
point.

"Above all else, this survey reinforces the need for parents, schools and
communities to work together to help our children build the skills they need
to resist alcohol and other drugs," Bleier said.

The study, conducted in the spring of 1998, included responses from 91,168
students in grades four through six in 64 Texas school districts.

The study also found that while alcohol use was down, more students had
been using inhalants. In 1998, about 12 percent of students said they had
used inhalants, up from 9.8 percent in 1996, according to the survey.

"This is a dangerous trend," said Jane Maxwell, a drug researcher with the
alcohol and drug commission. "And just as worrisome is the fact that the
percentage of students who say inhalants are very dangerous has fallen. We
need to get across to these kids that inhalants can cause permanent brain
damage and death."