STUDY - MANY CHILDREN ARE USING DRUGS

CINCINNATI, - The first national survey of drug use and
violence among America's fourth-to sixth-grade students shows a
significant number of 9- year-olds experiment with cigarettes,
alcohol, inhalants, marijuana and other drugs.

The National Parents' Resource Institute for Drug Education (PRIDE)
found that hundreds of thousands of fourth graders have used
cigarettes (4.1 percent), beer (7.7 percent) and inhalants (6.3 percent).

The survey, released today, was conducted among 26,086 students in 22
states.

Among the study's other results:

- -One in four fourth graders (27 percent) reports being hurt by a
student at school.

- -Many fourth graders drink beer (2.1 percent) and wine coolers (2.2
percent), and ``huff'' inhalants (2.2 percent) on a monthly basis.

- -Fourth graders say cigarettes and beer are ``easy to get,'' and 11
percent say marijuana is just as accessible. Nearly one in five (19
percent) say they have already started smoking cigarettes, or might
someday.

PRIDE said the study indicates drug use among children between the
ages of 9 and 12 increases when students move from elementary to
middle school, perhaps reflecting the effects of peer pressure.

The percentage of students reporting annual use of marijuana rose from
0.8 percent among fourth graders to 3.7 percent among sixth graders.
But the annual incidence of marijuana use triples from 1.2 percent to
3.7 percent after students leave the fifth grade and go to the sixth
grade. Cigarette smoking and beer drinking roughly doubled between the
fifth and sixth grades.

PRIDE President Thomas Gleaton said the study demonstrates that the
transition from the fifth to the sixth grade is a critical moment in a
child's life.

The Atlanta-based PRIDE is holding its annual convention in Cincinnati
this week.