Pubdate: Sat, 02 Aug 2003
Source: Angleton Times (TX)
Copyright: 2003 The Angleton Times
Contact:  http://www.angletontimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1113
Author: Bob Sonderegger

DRUG, ALCOHOL USE ALARMING

Forty percent of sixth-graders surveyed last spring said they had tried
alcohol.

According to a survey conducted by the Angleton School District, more than
two-thirds of ninth-graders said they use alcohol in the past, and five out
of six seniors - higher than the national average - said the did same.

Dr. Pat Montgomery, director of academic services, presented the survey at a
school board meeting Tuesday night. The survey asked students if they had
ever used a variety of drugs ever in their lifetime or in the past month.

While Angleton seniors were above the national average in some drugs ever
consumed, they were below the national average in drugs consumed in the last
month.

The results are alarming, Dr. Montgomery said. She said steps were under way
to make use of all available resources to students.

She suggested the survey indicated the need for an earlier start on drug use
prevention. It also indicated programs needed to reach a larger percentage
of students.

"Once students have started using drugs it is much more difficult to
intervene or reduce their use," Dr. Montgomery said, reading from her
report.

Seniors responding to the poll said the average age to first get drunk was
15.1 and 14.8 for the first use of marijuana.

Dr. Montgomery pointed to the fact that 24 percent of the seniors first
reported using marijuana between the age of 13 to 15, and 20 percent first
used the drug between the ages of 16 or older, indicating some of the
programs are helping down the line.

Half of the seniors said they never tried marijuana.

Thirty-seven percent of the seniors they never got drunk and 30 percent said
they first became drunk between the ages of 13 and 15.

Superintendent Dr. Lynne Perryman said it is "alarming if any students are
abusing drugs."

"It is a problem across the state that schools, the family and the community
must face," she said.

Perryman said the solution may well extend past the current programs in
place.

While 62 percent of the seniors said they had ever been drunk, which was the
national average, 28 percent of the Angleton seniors said they had been
drunk in the past month compared to 30 percent nationally. Fifteen percent
of ninth-graders and 2 percent of sixth-graders said they had ever been
drunk.

Eleven percent of sixth-graders said they tried alcohol and 39 percent of
ninth-graders said they tried alcohol.

Twelve percent of sixth-graders said they had smoked cigarettes in the past
month compared to 19 percent of ninth-graders and 25 percent of seniors.

National average is 27 percent. Overall, 28 percent of sixth graders, 48
percent of ninth graders and 49 percent of seniors said they ever tried a
cigarette.

Nineteen percent of seniors said they used marijuana in the past month
compared to a national average of 27 percent.

Nationally 22 percent of the seniors used marijuana in the past month
compared to 19 percent in Angleton. However 20 percent of the ninth grades
had used marijuana in the last month. Only four percent of the sixth graders
had used marijuana in the past month.

Other drug use was existent but moderate in Angleton and nationally.

While keeping close to the national average in most areas, Angleton seniors
far exceeded the norm in consumption of smokeless tobacco.

Thirteen percent of Angleton seniors reported going smokeless in the past
month compared to 13 percent nationally. Only four percent of the ninth
graders and two percent of the sixth graders used smokeless tobacco in the
past month.
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MAP posted-by: Josh