BIG CHANGE IN DRUG AWARENESS IS FOUND FROM AGE 12 TO 13

Worsening Problem In Schools Cited

Associated Press, 09/02/98 WASHINGTON - Just
as young teenagers are becoming more exposed to drugs, their parents
are losing influence over their lives, according to a new survey that
suggests ages 12 and 13 are critical years in the fight against drug
use. Few 12-year-olds know how to buy marijuana or know someone who
has used hard drugs, but about three times as many do by age 13,
according to the survey from Columbia University's National Center on
Addiction and Substance Abuse. Joseph A. Califano Jr., the center's
president, who was secretary of Health, Education and Welfare in the
Carter administration announced the study findings yesterday in Washington.

The survey also found that teenagers say the drug problem is worse
than their teachers and especially their principals do. For instance,
78 percent of teenagers say their schools are not drug free; just 18
percent of principals agree.

And while only 15 percent of high school principals say the school
drug problem is getting worse, half of students and 41 percent of
teachers say it is. The annual survey found that for the fourth
consecutive year, teenagers said drugs were the most important problem
they face. And the percentage of high school students who report that
drugs are used, sold, and kept at their schools continued to climb,
rising to 78 percent this year from 72 percent in 1996. Among
12-year-olds, 9 percent reported drinking in the past month, while
just 1 percent said they had smoked recently and 2 percent reported
using marijuana. The survey found those rates increased most sharply
between ages 14 and 16, yet attitudes and exposure to drugs change
earlier, with the most dramatic differences between 12- and
13-year-olds.

The telephone survey was conducted in May, June, and July with 1,000
teenagers, 824 teachers, and 822 principals. The margin of error for
teenagers was plus or minus 3 percentage points; for teachers and
principals it was 3.5 percentage points.

Checked-by: Patrick Henry