SURVEY FINDS MARIJUANA USE UP AMONG TEENS

Fewer Are Drinking, Smoking Cigarettes; Ecstasy Use Rising

While more Framingham teenagers are using marijuana than three years ago,
fewer are drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes, according to results
from a survey of high school students.

The study, conducted in December and released Friday, is the sixth by
Social Science Research and Evaluation Inc. and funded by the Framingham
Coalition for the Prevention of Drug and Alcohol Abuse.

''I think we still have a lot of work to do,'' said Margo Deane, executive
director of the Framingham Coalition.

According to the survey, 22 percent of high school students had used
marijuana at least once in the past 30 days, up from 19 percent in 1998. In
addition, 41 percent of teenagers surveyed reported using marijuana at
least once in their lifetime, compared with 38 percent in 1998.

Meanwhile, 33 percent of students said they drank at least once in the past
30 days, down from 36 percent in 1998. The number of students who said
they've had at least one drink at some point in their lives jumped from 63
percent to 58 percent in 2001.

The number of students who reported smoking cigarettes at least once in
their lifetime also dropped, from 49 percent to 41 percent in 2001.

Wayne M. Harding, of Social Science Research and Evaluation, said these
rates of risky behavior mirror national trends: Marijuana use by teenagers
is up across the country. But Framingham consistently registers percentages
below the state and national averages.

The voluntary and anonymous survey questioned students at Keefe Technical
High School, Framingham High School, and the alternative high school. About
1,800 students participated in the survey, which had more than 100
questions and was adapted from large-scale national surveys designed by the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

''The survey is promising, in that, by and large, we are seeing some
leveling or declining statistics in terms of risky behavior,'' said
Superintendent Mark Smith.

For example, the number of students practicing safe sex has increased since
1998, with birth control pill usage jumping from 25 percent to 35 percent.
Teenagers also reported increased use of condoms. Seventy-seven percent
said they had used condoms the last time they had intercourse, compared
with 75 percent three years ago.

The percentage of students who said they had voluntary sex - 33 percent -
has not risen since 1998. Smith said he still feels this statistic is too high.

''In general, I would like to see our young people less sexually active,''
he said.

In addition to tackling teenage sex, community leaders are looking to
address new problems affecting the area. This was the first year the survey
asked about the use of ecstasy, a drug that has become increasingly popular
with teenagers.

According to the study, 3 percent of students reported using the drug at
least once in the past 30 days, and 10 percent said they used ecstasy at
least once in their lives.

''It's becoming more commonplace, and we need to address this,'' Deane said.

Smith described the survey as ''a very sophisticated instrument that yields
credible data.''

In addition to risky behavior, the survey examined attitudes on violence
and participation in school activities. Results from the study revealed an
across-the-board leveling off of or decline in participation in school
activities.

For example, participation in music, band, and choir dropped from 17
percent in 1998 to 14 percent in 2001. Involvement in peer leadership also
declined from 15 percent to 12 percent. Meanwhile, participation in student
government and sports plateaued at 10 percent and 39 percent, respectively.

''Whatever data we get, even if it tells us something we would rather not
hear, is good data,'' Smith said. ''It's better to know based on some
scientific effort than it is to just put your head in the sand.''

Officials from the school, police, and the Framingham Coalition met earlier
this month to discuss the results from the survey. The meeting, Smith said,
demonstrates that risky adolescent behavior is not just a school issue, but
a community problem.

Deane said she plans to use the data in a campaign to change views of
social norms, such as the perception that all teenagers drink. The
Coalition wanted to launch a marketing effort this year, but didn't get the
grant money it needed for the project.