SURVEY: MARIJUANA USE DOWN, INJECTION DRUG USE UP IN STUDENTS

A study published by Indiana University suggests marijuana use among
students in grades six through 12 has decreased, while the use of
injection drugs and smokless tobacco is on the rise.

Morgan County school officials say while they do not see the spiked
increase in injection drugs, smokeless tobacco use has been -- and
continues to be -- an issue for students.

IU researchers collected data from 383 private and public schools
throughout the state for the 16th annual survey of alcohol, tobacco
and other drug use by Indiana children and adolescents. Some of the
survey's main findings included an across-the-board decrease in
marijuana use, a shift from cigarettes to smokeless tobacco and an
all-time high in injection drug use among 12th graders.

Martinsville High School Principal Don Alkire said injection drugs
don't seem to be a problem at the high school.

"Our numbers of drug-related expulsions during the course of this
last year is down," he said. "The vast majority of our drug-related
expulsions are always for marijuana and alcohol, and occasional pill
usage and/or possession."

He said use of smokeless tobacco, however, was "fairly high" for the school.

"All I'm saying is that we still have smokeless tobacco issues here
at the high school," he said.

Monrovia High School Assistant Principal Mike Springer echoed
Alkire's opinion, citing smokeless tobacco as one of the school's
main drug-related issues.

"Lucky to say we haven't had any cases where we're coming up with any
needles or anything like that," he said. "Out here, being kind of a
farming community, I think smokeless tobacco has always been popular."

Ruth Gassman, from the Indiana Prevention Resource Center, said she
was not surprised that Morgan County schools were not seeing the
trend of injection drugs, because even though their use has
significantly increased, it is still a small percentage of students.

"That represents 254 [students], so it's far from being an
epidemic... for all we know these findings are localized in some part
of the state. We don't know."

Greg Silver, drug education coordinator for Mooresville schools, said
he had not seen evidence of increased injection drug use. Silver said
smokeless tobacco was a significant and increasing problem for the
school, and that teachers had caught students chewing in class.

Silver also said he had not witnessed the decrease in marijuana use
cited in the survey.

Springer said he'd seen evidence of "huffing" lately-where students
use computer keyboard cleaners and other materials as inhalants.

Although the issue is not often seen within a school setting,
Springer said he thought alcohol use was still high among students.

"I hear this from people in our community and parents... and even
kids in the school. They say a lot of kids drink. I mean a lot," he
said. "They talk about how they drink with their parents or their
parents will buy them alcohol. They'll go to parties where alcohol
has been bought by their parents."

Monrovia High School did not participate in the survey this year, due
to the transition the school was making into separate junior and high
schools, but will most likely participate next year, he said.