DECLINE OF DRUGS AT WEST ALLEGHENY REFLECTS U.S. TREND

NORTH FAYETTE TWP. - A West Allegheny School District administrator
said she is pleased with the results of a student drug survey that
shows the district reflects a national trend of decreased drug use.

Advertisement William L. Hoch DMD, PC "We're a typical community,"
said Elaine Fitzgerald, coordinator of pupil personnel services.
"We're following the national trend. Nationally, teen drug use has
dropped, and so has ours."

On Sept. 20, approximately 1,964 West Allegheny students in grades 4
to 12 participated in the American Drug and Alcohol Survey.

The survey, developed by the Rocky Mountain Behavioral Science
Institute based in Fort Collins, Colo., assesses what drugs young
people use, how often they use them and where they use them. The
questionnaire has been administered to more than a million students
nationwide.

It was the second year the district has participated in the survey,
which is funded by a drug-free schools grant.

The results of the West Allegheny survey did not surprise Marsha
Rosenbaum of the Drug Policy Alliance office in San Francisco.

Drug use among teens has gone up and down over the years, she
said.

"It's in a down phase, and it will blip up again," Rosenbaum said.
"Some of it is simply fashion. (Drug use) is not stylish right now."

Moon Area school officials said they haven't done a formal drug
survey, but they have seen a downward trend in student drug use from
the number of students being referred to drug and alcohol programs.

Michael Haslett, director of pupil services, said the number of
referrals fell from 22 during the 2003-04 school year to 14 during
2004-05.

The anonymous survey taken by the West Allegheny students had 55
questions about amounts and types of drugs taken and students' beliefs
and experiences regarding drug and alcohol use. The same questions
were phrased in several different ways to eliminate the "lie factor,"
Fitzgerald said

After the surveys were completed, they were placed in a sealed
envelope and sent to the behavioral science institute, which issued a
report to the school district.

According to survey results, approximately 69 percent of West
Allegheny High School students had never tried a drug or had a very
low level of drug involvement. In addition, survey results indicated
that the majority of students who did use drugs and alcohol were more
likely to do it away from school and school events.

At the middle school level, approximately 89 percent of eighth-grade
students said they had never tried a drug or had a very low level of
drug involvement, while approximately 11 percent were moderately or
heavily drug involved.

The report also discussed the students' perceptions of the harm drugs
can cause. According to the survey, students viewed alcohol and
marijuana as relatively harmless; 2 percent of eighth-graders reported
using alcohol while in a vehicle.