ALCOHOL, INHALANT USE FOUND IN FOURTH GRADE

CINCINNATI Some of the nation's fourth grade students have already
started drinking beer and wine coolers or sniffing inhalants on a
monthly basis, a national organization that monitors drug use among
youths reported Wednesday. In a self reported survey of 26,086 fourth,
fifth and sixth grade students nationwide, some fourth graders said
they had used cigarettes (4.1%), beer (7.7%) and inhalants (6.3%).

Of those fourth graders, 2.1% said they drink beer, 2.2% drink wine
coolers and 2.2% use inhalants on a monthly basis.

The use of cigarettes increased to 7% in the fifth grade and 14.8% in
the sixth grade, while use of beer rose to 8.2% in the fifth grade and
to 15% in the sixth grade, according to the survey by the Atlanta
based organization Parents' Resource Institute for Drug Education. The
survey was released as the organization began a conference in
Cincinnati. It was the organization's first nationwide look at drug
and alcohol use by youngsters.

Peer use was a factor influencing some youngsters to try drugs,
alcohol and cigarettes, organization officials said. But parents can
be influential in persuading youngsters to avoid using those things
simply by talking to their children before they experiment, they
added. The study was conducted during the 199798 school year. The
organization sent a questionnaire to participating schools with
instructions for administering the anonymous surveys.