Pubdate: Sat, 01 Jan 2005
Source: Bowling Green Daily News (KY)
Copyright: 2005 News Publishing LLC
Contact:  http://www.bgdailynews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1218
Author: Courtney Craig
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?225 (Students - United States)

FEWER LOCAL TEENS SMOKE, ABUSE DRUGS

PRIDE Survey Shows Trend Mirrors That Of Nation

Smoking and drug abuse among teenagers is on the decline nationwide,
and some of the same problems have taken a drop in the past few years
among local students as well.

According to a nationwide survey conducted by the National Institute
on Drug Abuse, the smoking rate among young teenagers is half what it
was in the mid-1990s. Drug use by young teens is down by a third,
while the decline among older teenagers is smaller.

Drug information about local schools is available through PRIDE, an
anonymous survey of drugs taken by all students in the Bowling Green
City and Warren County school districts earlier this year. The PRIDE
data was released in May.

According to the data, smoking among Bowling Green and Warren County
students has dropped significantly since 1999, but rates among
eighth-, ninth- and 12th-graders rose in 2003 over 2002.

In 2003, 21.8 percent of eighth-graders, 30.5 percent of ninth-graders
and 40.5 percent of 12th-graders admitted to cigarette usage.

However, those rates are down from 33.4 percent of eighth-graders,
43.7 percent of ninth-graders and 52.5 percent of 12th-graders smoking
cigarettes in 1999.

"When you consider the generational mores of smoking, we're not doing
too badly," said Nancy Bertuleit, safe and drug-free schools
specialist for Warren County Schools.

"I feel good about what we're doing. Kids are getting the message, but
there are still too many kids smoking at early ages. It's a work in
progress."

Bertuleit attributes several factors for the cigarette decline,
including smoke-free ordinances making their way east from the West
Coast, fewer teen role models who smoke and the 1998 Principles of
Effectiveness put forth by the national government.

The Principles of Effectiveness required schools to use federal
funding to implement science-based anti-drug programs - complete with
needs assessment, measurable goals, proven-effective programs and
evaluations - to decrease drug use among students.

"It really increased the accountability of what we can do with those
funds," Bertuleit said. "... As we decrease adult use, with smoking
still being the number one killer, we're starting to see fewer kids
smoke because of those changes."

Bowling Green Police Department Officer Jerry Corbitt said the
increase in asking for identification of everyone buying tobacco or
alcohol serves as another barrier to teen drug use.

"It's an extra step they have to go through to get alcohol or
tobacco," he said.

"If I were underage and trying to buy tobacco or alcohol, then I found
out they were carding, I'd think otherwise."

Locally, use of many drugs has taken a drastic decline since 1999. But
there are still widely used drugs - including cigarettes, beer,
liquor, wine coolers and marijuana - that plague local schools.

So-called "gateway drugs" are the most commonly used drugs among local
students.

Bertuleit said the numbers will get better over time, but the drug of
choice may change from gateway drugs to methamphetamine, one of the
most widely used drugs nationwide.

"Over time, we're going to start seeing some of the effects of
increased meth production because of the severity of the harmful
effects of that drug, and how it affects family systems," Bertuleit
said.

Nationwide, researchers were concerned about a rise in the use of
inhalants, such as glue and aerosols, especially among
eighth-graders.

Local schools saw a huge jump in inhalant use among 12th-graders in
2003; 9 percent of students admitted to using them, compared to 4.7
percent in 2002.

That's by far the highest rate of seniors admitting to using inhalants
- - it was 4.4 percent in 2001, 6.4 percent in 2000 and 5.6 percent in
1999.

"Availability is part of it," Bertuleit said. "From what I'm told, it
has to do with a high that can be gotten quickly with little
difficulty and available substances. I think it will go down because
it kills brain cells instantly, and you don't get brain cells back.
I'm hopeful we'll see those numbers go down."

Tommy Loving, executive director for the Bowling Green-Warren County
Drug Task Force, said the drop in teen drug use reflects a drop in
usage among adults in the Bowling Green community.

"We have noticed a slight decline in meth labs in Warren County, and
that's certainly a positive trend," Loving said.

To prevent future rises in drug use, Loving encourages citizens to
report all trafficking situations they may witness.

People can call 781-DRUGS or log on to www.wefightdrugs.org for an
anonymous reporting mechanism.

"The more information we have, the more we can do on the enforcement
side," Loving said. "People can also support prevention efforts
through programs by the city police and sheriff's offices."

Bertuleit agreed, saying it's important for school and other community
organizations to continue the good work they're doing to discourage
teens from starting to use drugs.

"We can continue with programs for adults and teenagers to not just
quit smoking, but to never start," Bertuleit said. "We'll continue to
get that message across. While smoking is still legal for adults, it's
still the No. 1 killer. We'll continue to build strong families so
kids won't be drawn to any type of illicit means."

New PRIDE data will be released this month.
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MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin