STUDENTS ADMIT TO HAVING A DRINK

The majority of Columbia teens have at least sipped alcohol in their
lives, a recent survey shows.

Columbia Public Schools gives ninth-graders a state-mandated drug and
alcohol survey every two years. In February, 1,366 students,
including a sampling of 11th- and 12th-graders, completed the
121-question survey.

Seventy-one percent admitted taking at least one drink of alcohol. On
the flip side, 63 percent said they had never tried marijuana, and
about 95 percent said they had never used psychedelic drugs, cocaine,
methamphetamine or "club drugs" such as ecstasy.

The survey "confirms our suspicions," said Becky Markt, coordinator
for the Youth Community Coalition, a drug prevention group. "From
what we've seen, alcohol is the biggest problem for teens here."

Markt said she believes the surveys accurately represent drug and
alcohol use among local teens, although teens aren't forced to answer
the questions honestly. To combat false answers, the state includes
some "dummy" questions on the survey. If a teen answers those
incorrectly, the survey is disregarded.

Markt said there are a couple of ways to look at the statistics. "You
have to look at both sides of the coin," she said. "If 65 percent
aren't using, that still leaves us with 35 percent who are and who
should not be."

Some say people are in denial about drug abuse among teens.

"We conducted a community readiness assessment in January, and what
we found was that the community, in general, was in a stage of denial
or vague awareness of any problem," Markt said. "That's why we're
focusing a lot of our efforts on awareness and education."

Resident Jim Denninghoff said he is aware of the problem but agrees
many people are not. "The problem is far greater than people are
willing to acknowledge," he said.

Since 2003, about 50 Columbia teenagers have sought help for drug
addiction from the St. Louis-based Crossroads Program. Other students
sought help from the facility before that year, but Director Mike
Weiland did not know how many. A Crossroads support group has been
in Columbia for about five years, and by 2003, the demand for
services was great enough Crossroads opened an administrative office
here.

Crossroads is an outpatient treatment program that links addicted
youths to support families. Local teens spend six to 12 weeks with a
support family in St. Louis because "there's too much heat for them
in Columbia," Weiland said. Participating families attend support
group meetings when teens return home.

Markt hopes the survey data will help make the public aware of how
teen drug use affects the community.

According to the International Institute for Alcohol Awareness,
Missouri ranks 11th among the 50 states for the cost per youth of
underage drinking. Direct costs of underage drinking resulting from
medical care and loss of work cost Missouri $493 million each year,
the agency reports.

But Markt said other effects are less obvious to pinpoint.

"The basic thing is we need to remember that these kids in our
community deserve to have successful, meaningful lives," she said.
"If there are substances involved as they're growing up, it's less
likely that's going to happen."