STUDY FINDS RISING DRUG USE IN CMS

'Gateway' Substances On The Increase

Use of "gateway drugs" -- alcohol, cigarettes and marijuana --
increased at alarming rates in youth between 2004 and 2006 despite
prevention efforts, according to a study by the nonprofit Substance
Abuse Prevention Services released Thursday.

The study, conducted in December 2006, surveyed 2,193
Charlotte-Mecklenburg students in grades six to 12.

Alcohol use rose by 15 percent since 2004, when the last study was
conducted. About 40 percent of all students surveyed and 67 percent of
high school seniors said they had consumed alcohol at least once.
Marijuana use rose by 33 percent overall, with 23 percent of the
students reporting having used marijuana before -- almost to the same
level as cigarette use. About 27 percent of students said they had
smoked a cigarette. The rise from 2004 levels has been pushed
primarily by increases in gateway drug use by minorities, especially
Latinos, the study found. White students used gateway drugs at higher
rates in past years; now, minority student rates have reached similar
levels.

"What we would imagine is that they're being acculturated into the new
community," said Karen Simon, executive director of Substance Abuse
Prevention Services. "That is often why people start using substances,
because they're having a difficult time adapting to where they are.
They're also trying, a lot of them ... to adopt what they perceive as
an American lifestyle."

Another concern was the number of students who reported getting
alcohol from their parents, officials said. Almost half of all middle
school students who reported they currently use alcohol said their
parents gave them the alcohol -- despite recent efforts to target
parents in prevention programs. Officials said they were encouraged,
however, that reports of binge drinking fell by 35 percent. Binge
drinking was defined as consuming five or more drinks at one time.

Overall use is down from the 2002 survey. Also, a lower percentage of
Mecklenburg County students reported drug use than was reported in the
rest of North Carolina and nationwide.

Because gateway drugs can lead to larger problems, including dropping
out of school and a criminal lifestyle, Simon said, early prevention
is important. Unfortunately, she said, that often means going against
powerful marketing and social trends.

"We are fighting against capitalism," she said.