RESULTS FROM THE YOUTH RISK BEHAVIOR SURVEY

Compared with the rest of the state, Newton kids are better informed,
better behaved and use less alcohol and drugs.

But that doesn't mean that all parents will be comfortable to hear about
the behavior of many middle and high schoolers here.

Nearly half of Newton high schoolers report drinking alcohol, and nearly
one out of four say they have engaged in binge drinking sometime in a 30
day period, according to a recently released survey. Just about as many
reported having smoked marijuana. In addition, about one-quarter of high
school students say they have had sexual intercourse, with 28 percent of
that group saying they didn't use a condom during their last sexual experience.

Those are some of the results from last fall's Newton Youth Risk Behavior
Survey. Three-thousand students, from grades six through 12, volunteered to
answer questions about topics including drug and alcohol use, sexual
behavior and dietary attitudes.

The study showed that, since 1998, tobacco and alcohol use in Newton has
declined, while sexual activities and smoking marijuana has remained steady.

But compared to students across the state, the use of tobacco and alcohol
is significantly lower in Newton. Meanwhile, fewer students in the Garden
City engage in sexual intercourse, while condom use among those who are
sexually active here is much higher.

"It's encouraging. It seems like Newton kids are making better choices in a
lot of areas," said Nancy DiMella, the school's health curriculum
specialist who has coordinated the information-gathering effort for Newton
schools since 1998.

DiMella said that various measures are taken when analyzing the results -
surveys answered jokingly are plucked, and the rates are compared with
statewide trends, as well.

For example, she said, "If our results mirror smaller increases and
decreases at a statewide level, then it would be very unlikely that kids
lied in the same direction across different communities."

A trend in lower tobacco use among high school students - 14 percent
compared to 21 percent statewide - had DiMella recalling a state-funded
anti-smoking program that she thinks may be the cause of the positive
impact. However, she noted that funding has dried up, and that teen smoking
rates ought to be tracked in the next few years to see whether the
anti-tobacco influence endures.

She said it's important to give surveys like this one, which is mostly
based on a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey, in order to
dispel information based on anecdotal senses and hearsay. For example, she
said she's heard a teacher comment that it seems more kids are talking
about suicide, but that was not represented mathematically. Similarly,
DiMella wondered if claims of stress had increased since the study's
inception in 1998 which was followed by the introduction of MCAS testing
and the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, but according to the tests, she said that
reports of stress had remained level.

According to the report, teen sexual activity in Newton has remained level
since 1998, but that's a lot lower than the state average. And, when Newton
kids do decide to engage in sexual activity, they use contraceptive
protection at a much higher rate than the state average.

DiMella credits the freshman-year sexual health course with contributing to
kids' enlightenment.

"When the AIDS pandemic made it clear that it wasn't a gay disease," she
said, the class was conceived with the idea of providing students with
information about contraceptives, disease prevention and sexual
orientation, so they could have an accurate picture.

At a time when students are beginning to date, DiMella said the course "...
helps them to think that this is more serious business than they thought,
and think about it better."

However, while lower in all cases than the state average, the study shows
almost half of Newton high school students drink; almost a quarter of them
use alcohol; and more than two in 10 kids report being depressed. More high
school students reported using marijuana than they did tobacco.

"Even if we look better one year than the next, the numbers should also be
looked at all by themselves," said DiMella.

So while the city depression rate is less than the state's rate of 28
percent, DiMella warns that it doesn't mean there isn't cause for alarm.

"Now, obviously there are 22 percent of kids who experience depression.
Even if that is lower than the state, it's a number we need to be aware
of," she said.

Lindsay Crudele can be reached at lcrudele@cnc.com

Tobacco: 2 percent middle school and 14 percent of high school students
report smoking a cigarette in the month before the survey. The state
average is 21 percent for high school students.

Alcohol: 7 percent of middle school and 41 percent of high school kids say
they drank alcohol in the month before taking the study. The state high
school average is 46 percent.

Marijuana: 1 percent of middle school and 23 percent of high school
students report using marijuana. The state rate of high school marijuana
use is 28 percent.

Other drugs: 3 percent of high school students reported using other illegal
drugs.

Mental health: 48 percent of middle school students and 74 percent of high
school students report feeling stressed. 10 percent of middle school and 15
percent of high school students said they attempted to hurt themselves
purposefully, such as by cutting or burning themselves. Statewide, 18
percent of high school students reported such behavior. Also, 22 percent of
students say they are depressed at the high school level, and 9 percent of
those had sought medical help. At the state level, the number is 28 percent.

Sexual Behavior: 24 percent of high school students reported having sexual
intercourse in their lives, at a steady rate since 1998. Statewide, that
number is 41 percent. And, 72 percent of those students say they used a
condom the last time they had sex, compared to 57 percent in the state.