SURVEY SHOWS DRUG USE BY MINORS REPORTEDLY ON THE RISE

A new survey shows the popularity of drugs and alcohol in schools is
on the rise.

According to a press release from The National Center on Addiction and
Substance Abuse at Columbia University, 11 million high schoolers and
five million middle schoolers attend "drug-infested" schools. That
means 80 percent of high school students and 44 percent of middle
school students are seeing drugs used, seeing their peers under the
influence of drugs or alcohol and seeing drugs purchased on school
grounds.

"The National Survey of American Attitudes on Substance Abuse XII:
Teens and Parents" is the 12th annual back-to-school survey the center
has conducted. This was the first year the survey dealt with drugs in
the nation's schools.

"The rate of use in middle and high school definitely affects the use
when (students) come to college," said Bobbi Britton-Stroud, unit
manager of the Raider Assistance Program, a Student Health Services
program directed at substance abuse and addiction.

Greg Schrimsher, assistant professor in the Department of
Neuropsychiatry, agreed that starting drug use at a young age can have
future implications.

"Some of the early onset activity is concerning," he said. "Those who
start earlier tend to do it longer term."

According to the survey's results, 31 percent of high schoolers and 9
percent of middle schoolers see illegal drugs used or sold, or see
fellow students high or drunk at least once a week on school property.

"It speaks to the level of access," Schrimsher said. "As a society, we
don't really appreciate that."

Of the parents surveyed, 11 percent said drugs are their child's
greatest concern, while more than twice as many teenagers -- 24
percent -- said drugs are their greatest concern. "I think it might
point to the fact that parents don't appreciate the level of exposure
to drugs and alcohol in schools," Schrimsher said.

The survey also showed the proportion of students who attend schools
where drugs are present has increased by 39 percent for high school
students and 63 percent for middle schoolers since 2002. From 2006 to
2007, the proportion jumped 20 percent for high schoolers and 35
percent for middle school students.

"It could be relatively isolated in high school, sort of an awkward
teenage attempt to do adult things you're not allowed to do,"
Schrimsher said. "Once they get older, that behavior kind of drops
off."

A majority of parents -- 59 percent -- whose teenagers attend schools
with a drug presence said they believe the goal of making the schools
drug free is unrealistic.

Schrimsher said he believes the most common drug referred to in the
study is marijuana rather than stronger substances like heroin.

Of the parents surveyed, 48 percent said they would be more bothered
if their teenagers had sex than if they used marijuana; 82 percent
would be more upset about the teen driving while intoxicated and 52
percent would be more bothered if the teen shoplifted.

"The idea that 'marijuana's not so serious so we'll overlook it' is
not an acceptable answer," said Jenn Mason, community coalition
coordinator for the Managed Care Center for Addictive and Other
Disorders. "It affects productivity and the ability to be effective at
school. Whether or not you think it's dangerous, it's illegal for a
reason."

About 37 percent of students between the ages of 12 and 17 years old
said they could buy marijuana within one day; 17 percent said they
could buy it within one hour.

"Just because they said they could buy marijuana if they had to within
24 hours," Schrimsher said, "that doesn't mean there's necessarily
that many students doing it."

Mason also said she was skeptical about these numbers.

"When kids are self-reporting, they very highly over-estimate how easy
it is to get drugs and how many kids use drugs," she said. "Most kids
aren't using. That's their egocentric nature talking. They think that
if they know someone who does, or even if they just hear about someone
who does, then everyone does."

Schrimsher said for the drug activity that actually does occur in
schools, he believes it is most likely students who sell the
substances because society has put such strict penalties on adults who
attempt to sell drugs to minors.

"As a society, we've really tried to address that," Schrimsher said.
"The penalties within a school zone are far more severe for drug
trafficking."

QEV Analytics -- a Washington, D.C.-based public opinion research firm
- -- conducted the survey from April 2 to May 13. It participated in a
telephone survey with a national random sample of 1,063 12- to
17-year-old students -- 554 boys and 509 girls. They also surveyed 550
parents, 53 percent of whom were parents of teen respondents. The
sampling error is plus or minus 3 percent for teens and 4 percent for
parents.