Pubdate: Tue, 18 Jul 2000 Source: Munster Times (IN) Copyright: 2000 The Munster Times Contact: The Times, 601 45th Ave., Munster, IN 46321 Fax: (219) 933-3249 Website: http://www.thetimesonline.com/ Author: Jeanette Lach, or (219) 852-4316 DECLINE IN YOUTH DRUG USE COULD POINT TO TREND New Data Expected In August. The current decline in drug use among Indiana's middle school-age youths is offering some hope that new data to be released in August will reflect that trend. The Indiana Prevention Resource Center at Indiana University in Bloomington has been reporting steady declines in drug use statewide since 1997. Last year, researchers at the center, which has conducted the statewide survey for nine years, collected information from 281 schools in 94 Indiana communities. While local authorities await the release of new data, their own experiences are offering encouragement that the tide could be turning or, at least, not getting any worse. "We've definitely gone down," said St. John Police Chief John Guzik. Arrests for substance abuse among juveniles in St. John went down from 47 in 1997 to 24 last year. Guzik's numbers are in agreement with statewide figures, which showed a decrease in illicit drug use among middle school students in 1999. Compared to 1996, the percentage of students in seventh, eighth and ninth grades reporting monthly marijuana use declined, according to the IU center. In 1996, 22.8 percent of ninth graders surveyed reported using marijuana in the past month while 16.2 percent did so last year, a 7 percent drop. For eighth graders, the decline was 4 percent and for seventh graders, it was 3 percent. "We're seeing the decrease across all drugs," said Mindy King, a research associate with the resource center. In places like Giffith, for instance, police haven't felt a major shift. "We've not really seen any kind of a major change up or down," said Detective Sgt. John Messinio, who processes all drug evidence headed for the state crime lab. "Everything's been kind of status quo for the past few years." One of the more encouraging data experts track is tobacco use among youth, which has declined since 1997. Tobacco is considered a gateway drug that can lead to use of other drugs, particularly among middle school students, King said. As middle schoolers continue to eschew cigarettes, the hope is other, harder drugs won't be a lure. For those who work with prevention programs daily, though, no blanket statement can be made about Northwest Indiana youths and drug use. "It depends on your neighborhood," said Sandy Appleby, assistant director of special services at Tri-City Mental Health Center in East Chicago. She coordinates after-school programs for young people in Whiting, Hammond, Highland, East Chicago and Munster. Her own surveys tell her that individual experiences tell the story. "It depends locally on what kids are hearing and seeing on the streets," she said about drug abuse. As public awareness about drugs and their effects grows and the number of after-school programs increase, the hope is a trend will take hold. "If that age group is turning -- the 10- to 14-year-olds -- those are the kids that will be the teen-agers soon and that gives me a lot of hope," Appleby said. - --- MAP posted-by: greg