STUDENT SUBSTANCE ABUSE DROPS

Diane Watson said last week that tenth-graders at South Whidbey High School
are a "wonder class."

Watson, director of student support for the South Whidbey school district,
made that statement while reporting the results of the "Healthy Youth
Survey 2002" at a South Whidbey Board of Education workshop April 14.

The voluntary survey asks students to respond to a broad spectrum of
questions, including their attitudes, perceptions and behaviors related to
drugs and alcohol and school atmosphere. The questions relate to the 30
days prior to the test.

Watson said the results of the survey show a group of students who are
generally not interested in using drugs, alcohol or tobacco.

"The current tenth-grade class is very resilient, stronger and more
resilient to substance abuse, alcohol and tobacco use," she said. "They
just say no."

Watson based her comments on percentage numbers from this year's survey,
compared to data generated by tenth graders taking the survey in 2000 and
1998. For example, the current survey data shows 70.9 percent of the
students answering questions on alcohol abuse reported abstaining from
drinking during the previous month. In 1998, that number was 45.7 percent.

There were 138 usable surveys from the tenth-grade class. Half of the
questions related to substance abuse, while the remainder dealt with health
issues. The survey was given to sixth-, eighth-, 10th- and 12th-grade students.

In three categories -- binge drinking, cigarettes and marijuana use --
nearly 90 percent of 10th-grade students surveyed indicated no use during
the previous 30 days. About seven students indicated that they did drink
during that period.

Watson reported to board members that prevention in the earlier grades
seems to be paying off. She reported that all of the sixth-graders surveyed
reported no use of cigarettes, marijuana or smokeless tobacco, and only two
said they used alcohol during the 30 days prior to the test.

The one area of concern locally and statewide, Watson said, is an increase
in the use of methamphetamine.

"Here on South Whidbey there is a 5-percent increase in meth use since
1998, or about eight students out of those queried admitting to using the
drug within the last 30 days," Watson said.

In the lower grades, four students in the eighth and four in 10th admitted
to using meth.

"Any increase in meth use is alarming, because of the issues around it.
It's very addictive and will cause irreparable harm to the user.

Island County Sheriff's Office deputies have responded to five meth
production sites in Island County since the beginning of the yea. None of
them was on South Whidbey.

Contacted after the meeting for information, Russ Lindner, Island County's
chief criminal deputy said the highly addictive and often-fatal drug is
well established among school-age users. It is also extremely easy to make
and purchase.

"Meth production has infiltrated to the teen ranks," he said. "Everybody
has become a Betty Crocker with the stuff, cooking it and selling it."

The Healthy Youth survey is conducted every two years by state agencies
involved in children's issues, including the Office of Superintendent of
Public Instruction, Department of Health, Department of Social and Health
Services, and the Office of Community Development.

At all grade levels in the South Whidbey School District, students reported
perceived availability of drugs in 2002 was up from 2000.

South Whidbey students in all grades reported that alcohol was harder to
get in 2002 than 2000.

Student participation in the state survey is voluntary. Of the schools
selected to serve as a representative sample, nearly 18,000 students from
98 elementary, middle and high schools completed and turned in the
anonymous survey. This represents close to double the number of
participants in 1998 and four times those in 1995.

Statewide, 752 districts and about 137,000 students participated. Watson
said the survey gives district administration and staff the opportunity to
evaluate progress toward improving in the areas of concern.

The survey is conducted every other year. South Whidbey residents
interested in viewing the survey can contact Diane Watson at the South
Whidbey School district office.