SCORING HIGH ON THE DRUG TEST

Two to 3 percent of eighth- and ninth-grade students take Ecstasy, or
smoke marijuana or hash, 9 percent inhale vaporous substances such as
glue, Tipex, or air-conditioning gas, 23 percent consume hard alcohol
and around 15 percent smoke cigarettes regularly, according to a study
commissioned by the Education Ministry. The Hoffman-Martins Research
Institute, which conducted the survey, was charged with checking the
effectiveness of anti-drug programs in schools.

The study showed there was almost no difference found between students
exposed to the programs and those who never attended a single session.

As part of the study, some 13,000 students aged 14 to 15 who attend
121 schools all over the country were asked about their drug and
alcohol habits.

"How many times in the past month did you use each of the following
substances?" the students were asked. All the data was gathered
approximately three years ago, however the ministry released the
complete study only recently.

According to the findings, around 10 percent of students are
interested in trying Ecstasy, 15 percent would like to try smoking pot
or hash and around 14 percent want to try inhaling Tipex, glue or
air-conditioning gas.

Students were asked: Is it possible to obtain marijuana or hash at
school or nearby?

Around 30 percent of the students answered yes.

Another 19 percent or so noted that it was only sometimes possible to
score such drugs at school.

When asked if they would like to buy such drugs if they knew who or
where to turn, around 10 percent of the youths responded affirmatively
and 22 percent said "maybe yes and maybe no."

The survey also asked how many of their peers used various drugs.
Around 8 percent knew people who used Ecstasy, 16 percent or so noted
they knew more than one student who smoked marijuana or hash and
around 26 percent know students who inhale Tipex, glue or
air-conditioner gas.

Most of the students did express reservations over the use of drugs,
but around 22 percent of those surveyed noted that "vaporous
substances" are not considered a harmful drug, and around 8 percent
felt that the use of grass was not harmful.

Almost 42 percent of the students agreed that "there is no real way to
prevent drug use among youth." Twenty-three percent noted that they
drink alcoholic beverages and 22 percent indicated they smoke hookahs.

The study sharply criticized the Education Ministry's drug prevention
programs for these age groups and stated "the schools do not run the
programs in a systematic, planned and coordinated manner with other
programs," something that is likely to "create wasted resources, on
one hand, and confusion and lack of interest among students, on the
other hand."

The report further stated "the programs offered are usually eclectic,
with the components of the programs being chosen at the discretion of
the person running it, who is not always familiar with its structure
and its rationale."

Moreover, the findings "indicate a lack of effectiveness in the
drug-prevention programs. There is no point in continuing the programs
in the present format," the researchers determined.

The ministry said in response that "the study found that most students
rule out the use of drugs and only a minority reported the use of
drugs." The ministry said it implemented the study's recommendations
to operate a program throughout the school years to strengthen a
student's ability to cope and life skills as a means of reducing drug
use.

"The issue of drug prevention is integrated into the framework of the
required curriculum of life skills," said the ministry.

In the previous school year the "life skills" program replaced the
previous ministry anti-drug and alcohol use program.

The new program stresses the students' ability to cope with different
situations from questions of social status in the class to the
problems of adolescence.

So far programs have been set up for elementary and junior-high
schools, and for the coming school year, the ministry's psychological
and guidance service is formulating similar programs for early
childhood and for grades 10-12.