TEEN DRUG, ALCOHOL USE DROPS BUT STILL HIGH

SANTA CRUZ - A survey of local youth released Tuesday revealed drug and
alcohol use among teens has decreased substantially since the first survey
nine years ago, but local use remains above the state average.

The results of the 2002 Santa Cruz County Youth Drug and Alcohol Survey
were released Tuesday at a press conference at the downtown Teen Center.
The survey was sponsored by all local school districts, law enforcement
agencies, the county Office of Education and Health Services Agency, and
United Way of Santa Cruz County.

The 2002 survey found 73 percent of 11th-graders had tried alcohol. In the
first survey in 1994, that figure was 90 percent. The state average for
alcohol use among 11th-graders is now 65 percent.

About 46 percent of the 11th-graders surveyed in 2002 said they had used
alcohol in the last 30 days, down from 55 percent in 1994.

The survey also showed alcohol use was more prevalent than marijuana,
cigarettes, inhalants, cocaine, psychedelics and heroin among 11th-graders
here.

A Watsonville High School junior interviewed Tuesday said he doesn't think
drug use among his friends - especially marijuana smoking - is a result of
peer pressure.

He advised parents and others trying to steer teens from drugs to find out
why youths do them in the first place. While blaming peer pressure tends to
be popular among health officials, he said, that's not the case with
today's teens.

"It's not the cool factor any more," said the teen, whom the Sentinel is
not naming because of his age. "The person I know (who smokes marijuana
regularly), they've been doing it for as long as I've known them. There was
no peer pressure to get them to do it, and they don't use peer pressure to
get me to do it. It's a routine."

More than 3,000 county students in grades seven, nine and 11 were polled
for the study. That's about 42 percent of all students in those grade levels.

The results show older students see daily drug and alcohol use as less
harmful than younger students did. Those surveyed also said alcohol and
marijuana are easier to get than cigarettes.

While applauding the decrease in drug and alcohol use, those at Tuesday's
press conference said youth, parent and community groups must work harder
so all young adults know the danger of drug and alcohol use.

Anti-drug messages can be hard to deliver in Santa Cruz County, where some
parents accept marijuana or use it themselves, survey organizers said. The
role of medical marijuana in the drug debate also complicates matters.

"We need to explain the use of marijuana and determine whether we are
sending mixed messages," said Judy Darnell of the United Way's Together for
Youth program. "Marijuana use among our youth has motivational and social
effects that affect their lives."

Armed with statistics of his own, Santa Cruz Police Chief Steve Belcher
addressed the problem of youth alcohol use.

"The United States has a culture that thinks it's OK to drink alcohol," he
said. "But it's a huge problem. We have between 12 and 15 officers on duty
Saturday nights. It is typical for all of them to be tied up with
alcohol-related issues, such as a party, that delays our response to other
problems for an hour or more."

Among Belcher's other statistics: Alcohol is involved in one-third of all
deadly teen car crashes; 40 percent of kids who drink before they are age
13 develop alcohol issues when they are older; 16-year-old girls who drink
are more likely to suffer depression than those who don't; college students
nationwide spend $5 billion on alcohol consumption - more than they spend
on books and supplies; and damage from underage drinking costs taxpayers
nationwide $53 billion dollars annually.

Youth drug and alcohol use Here's a look at local youth drug use compared
to the state average.

GRADE 11 SANTA CRUZ STATE

Alcohol 71% 65%

Tobacco 40% 56%

Marijuana 51% 44%

Inhalants 14% 13%

Cocaine 9% 9%

Methamphetamine 6% 9%

Psychedelics 7% 10%

Ecstasy 5% 11%

Heroin 5% 3%

GRADE 9 SANTA CRUZ STATE

Alcohol 51% 48%

Tobacco 31% 41%

Marijuana 31% 24%

Inhalants 15% 9%

Cocaine 5% 4%

Methamphetamine 5% 3%

Psychedelics 6% 4%

Ecstasy 5% 6%

Heroin 2% 2%

GRADE 7 SANTA CRUZ STATE

Alcohol 21% 21%

Tobacco 14% 19%

Marijuana 10% 8%

Inhalants 10% 6%

Source: Santa Cruz County Youth Drug and Alcohol Survey, 2002