DRUG, ALCOHOL USE DROPS FOR ONTARIO YOUTHS

CANANDAIGUA -- The number of middle school students using alcohol and drugs
other than marijuana has decreased in the last two years.

According to a recent survey, alcohol use among middle school students
decreased 17 percent; binge drinking -- having five or more drinks on one
occasion -- was down nearly 51 percent; and drug use, other than marijuana,
dropped 35 percent since 2000. The findings are from an anonymous survey
that The Partnership for Ontario County gave to more than 7,000 middle and
high school students across the county last fall. The group's first survey
was done in 2000.

Both surveys measured individual, school, family and community factors that
have been linked to increases or decreases in the likelihood of substance
abuse and violence. They included questions on alcohol and drug use among
the students in the 30 days before the survey was given. The findings from
last fall's survey included:

* For middle school students, several risk factors decreased, including
anti-social behavior, by 85 percent; and favorable attitudes toward drug
use, by 51 percent.

* Among high school students, anti-social behavior decreased by nearly 68
percent; and poor family discipline and lack of family supervision
decreased by nearly 33 percent and 27 percent, respectively.

* Sensation seeking -- doing things that a person knows may be dangerous --
increased in both middle and high school students. In the middle school
results, sensation seeking increased 9 percent; in the high school, 27 percent.

Robert Lillis, a volunteer and research consultant for the partnership,
compiled the data from the surveys and said high school students
traditionally lose some fears about drug use.

"They may experiment once and see they don't die, then reality (about the
dangers of drug use) goes out the window," Lillis said.

Among the high school results, alcohol use increased 12 percent, while
binge drinking and drug use, other than marijuana, decreased by 2 percent
and 16 percent, respectively.

Marijuana use increased in both the middle and high schools. In the middle
school, marijuana use went from 4 percent in 2000 to nearly 6 percent in
2002. In the high schools, it increased from 17 percent to 22.

School officials have received preliminary data from the survey on their
individual districts and will meet with Lillis to go over the information.

Kristin Wrobbel, a school social worker and prevention counselor for grades
6 through 12 at Midlakes, said she expects to use the survey findings to
guide the district in substance abuse prevention.

"It gives us something to work with to see if the programs we have in place
are effective," said Wrobbel, noting that because of the findings in the
first survey, the district was able to secure some grant money to start a
family support center, which provides free counseling to families in need.

Wrobbel said the district has also used the findings to institute a Big
Brothers and Big Sisters program this year between high school and
intermediate students. A greater emphasis was also placed on the school's
Youth to Youth Drug Free Peer Program, which has 68 members from the middle
and high schools.

Since 1996, the partnership has been working to ensure that every Ontario
County resident and visitor can live, work and play free from harm due to
the use or abuse of alcohol, tobacco or other substances.

The organization is directed by volunteers representing every sector of the
community, including business, community service, education, religious
faith, government, health care and public safety. The partnership has more
than 160 volunteers.

Michelle Alvaro, the partnership's executive director, said prevention
programs have been initiated throughout the county, resulting in reduced
risk of substance abuse, increased social skills, improvement in character
and improved academic performance by young people who have participated in
the prevention activities. They include youth court, in-school and
environmental mentoring programs, and an annual substance-free teen festival.

The partnership finds funding, writes grant applications and provides
research and evaluation for the volunteer groups.

Alvaro said the organization's work will continue, with a focus on working
with high school students.

Helping kids break habits that may lead to alcohol and drug use is a key to
keeping them from experimenting with them. But tackling the matter before
it is a problem can be a problem itself, she said.

"We aren't prevention-oriented in this society," Alvaro said.