POT USE SCHOOL'S BIGGEST CONCERN

Milford Students Say Booze, Drugs A Problem In Ninth Grade

MILFORD -- According to a health survey this year's Milford High
sophomores took last year, 29 percent had tried marijuana, 65 percent have
tried alcohol and 63 percent have had sex.

The survey, recently released, is something health teacher Diana Dow gives
her freshmen students at the beginning of each semester. She said she uses
it to decide what to focus on in her curriculum. The survey is anonymous
and students are not required to participate. Last year, 266 students
filled it out. Of those, 83 said drug use is the biggest health problem at
the high school, 53 said alcohol and two said sex/sexually transmitted
diseases. Other problems included violence, smoking, eating disorders and
bullying. The year before, of the then-freshmen who are now juniors, 71
students said the biggest problem was drug use, followed by 49 who said
alcohol use and 18 who said sex. "I'm not alarmed by a 10 percent jump,"
Dow said of the increase in concern about drug use from 2003 to 2004.
"We've also seen some issues go down. That's what I'm there to address.
I'm not happy to see it, but it gives me more incentive to teach.

"A person who gets hooked or addicted didn't set out for that to happen,"
she said. "We educate them on psychological and physical addiction. It's a
huge topic in the ninth-grade health class. The kids want to learn about
the issues." Dow said marijuana is a problem, and recently teachers have
seen more ecstacy use.

"People think because it's a pill that it's not going to hurt them," she
said. "We try to get that idea out of their heads that, 'Oh it's just a
little pink pill.'"

On the 2004 ninth-grade survey, five students admitted to trying ecstacy;
three said yes in 2003.

Principal John Brucato said while the school is aware of the issues and
tries to teach the students the dangers of drugs, alcohol and sex, at some
point the changes must occur at home.

"Today's teens more than ever need the guidance of others, significantly
adults," he said. "There are more pressures for kids today. Things are
moving at a faster pace, there are more distractions and temptations. "The
key is the home," he said. "We can offer programs at school. We can offer
discussions, but to get that information out there is important. If you
see trends or patterns we can only do so much here, the rest has to be
done at home." Dow said the Students Against Destructive Decisions club, of
which she is the adviser this year, conducts its own annual survey of the
entire student body during homeroom. Participation is optional, and last
year's results were based on about 900 responses.

The 2004-05 academic year results in some cases were drastically different
from the 2003-04 results, but Dow said she just started as adviser and
could not explain the discrepancy.

The SADD survey results are broken down into male and female responses.
According to the 2004-05 survey, 38 percent of males and 42 percent of
females said they had used alcohol or drugs in high school. In the 2003-04
survey, 62 percent of males and 65 percent of females answered yes to the
same question. The surveys are only as accurate as the students' answers,
Dow said. She said she instructs students taking the ninth-grade survey to
skip questions they feel uncomfortable answering. She said students could
feel pressured to answer a certain way based on who else is in the
classroom and what topics are currently being discussed.

For example, if she was teaching the drug unit when students took the
survey or if there was a story in the news, it could lead more students to
say drugs are the biggest health problem.

Students in her ninth-grade health class confirmed drugs and alcohol are
issues in the school.

Freshman Lindy Decarlo said she has seen girls doing cocaine in the
bathroom. "At least half of the school does drugs," she said. "Most of
them will probably get past the phase, but when you're doing it at school
that's a real problem." Mellissa Fernandes said the school needs cameras
in the bathroom because students won't rat each other out.

"It's definitely an issue," she said. "If they find out you told -- you're
dead," saying the student is likely to get beaten up. "I just think the
smoking has to stop," said Nia Welter. Laurie MacMannis said drinking
parties are a problem because students pressure one another to go. By not
going, she said, "you lose a lot of friends that way." Kevin Riggs said,
"They should have a guard in the bathroom." Michael Botticelli, assistant
commissioner for substance abuse services at the state _Department of
Public Health_
(http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/search/index.bg?searchSite=recent&keyword=Department
of Public Health) , said drug and alcohol use are concerns statewide.

"One of the things we know in terms of those kids who go on to develop
problems as adults is the earlier kids start using, particularly drinking,
the more likely they are to develop a problem as adults," Botticelli said.
"Also, the earlier kids use (alcohol) the more likely they are to go on
and use drugs. So we focus on postponing first use as long as possible."
Botticelli said he bases his information on a state survey of more than
3,000 middle and high school students from 50 middle and 50 high schools
done every two years by the Department of Public Health. The last survey
came out in October 2002. Botticelli said the state is just getting ready
to release its 2004 data, but it is somewhat similar.

According to the 2002 survey, about 80 percent of the high schoolers had
used alcohol and about 25 percent used marijuana.

"The number of reasons is often complex of why kids begin drinking," he
said. "We think of it as the biological, psychological, sociological
components that make someone up."

Parenting is also part of the problem. "Parents are often faced with a
dilemma in terms of drinking and kids. Parents see drinking as a less
awful alternative to other things kids could be doing," he said.
Botticelli said they have no reason to believe the surveys are inaccurate.
"If anything, the error is underreporting," he said, adding the surveys
are anonymous so the kids have no reason to lie.