Pubdate: Fri, 29 Sep 2006
Source: Kerrville Daily Times (TX)
Copyright: 2006 The Daily Times
Contact:  http://www.dailytimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3035
Author: Mark J. Armstrong

SCHOOL BATTLES DRUGS, ALCOHOL

A survey of Kerrville Independent School District students indicated 
that about half had used alcohol, with 12 years old being the average 
age of first use.

That same survey of 923 students taken during the 2005 school year 
found the average age for first time use of inhalants such as glue or 
paint was 11 years old, and the average age for first-time use of 
marijuana was 13 years old. School officials say it's a communitywide 
issue that will require community involvement to solve.

"Kids don't get drunk at school. We have a few incidents of kids 
coming to football games drunk, but they're drinking before they get 
there," said Kendall Young, director of special programs for the district.

The survey of students taken in 2005 also indicated that 28 percent 
of students reported having five or more drinks at one time in the 
past 30 days. The availability of alcohol was reported as "very easy" 
by 21 percent of students.

When it came to reasons given for using drugs, 28 percent of students 
surveyed said it was OK to use drugs or alcohol to see what it was 
like, and 26 percent said it was OK to use drugs or alcohol to have a 
good time.

The survey included students from the sixth, eighth, ninth and 12th grades.

Educating Students

To help combat the pressure to try drugs and alcohol, the schools 
start education programs in kindergarten. The district employs a 
full-time drug education teacher who spends nine weeks at each 
elementary campus, where she talks to students about alcohol, drugs 
and bullying.

In kindergarten, she shows kids the difference between candy and 
prescription drugs and talks to them about the importance of never 
putting something they find in their mouths.

In the first grade, she teaches kids about how drugs and alcohol can 
effect their growth and development.

"We target it at the developmental level and the appropriateness," Young said.

As kids get older, the educational programs become more specific and 
detailed. By the time they reach the middle school level, students 
study the effects of using drugs in health classes. Seventh-grade 
students also learn drug prevention techniques through a program 
called Project Alert, and eigth-graders learn about the consequences 
of their behavior based on their individual answers through a 
computer-based program called Choices Count.

Young said middle school is the time when the message to avoid drugs 
is most important.

"That's the critical time (ages 13 to 15) when they are deciding who 
they are going to be when they get older," Young said.

Numbers reported by the school district for the 2004-05 school year 
indicated there were two incidents involving drugs on elementary 
campuses, seven at the middle school and 14 at the high school.

For the first half of the 2005-06 school year, there were none at 
elementary schools, four at the middle school and eight at the high 
school -- about the same ratios as the previous year.

Problems At The Middle School

So far, this year, there have been two drug-related incidents at Hal 
Peterson Middle School.

Last week, a 13-year-old student was removed from class after 
officials found what was described in police reports as a "small 
amount" of marijuana in the teen's pocket. The student was detained 
by Kerrville police officers at the school and taken to the Kerr 
County Detention Center.

Another 13-year-old student at Peterson Middle School was taken to 
the Kerr County Juvenile Detention Facility on Sept. 13 after 
admitting to authorities that he had sold hydrocodone pills to 
another student. Hydrocodone is a habit-forming prescription pain killer.

Disciplining Kids

Phil Houseal, director of communications and community education for 
the district, said he could not discuss specifics concerning 
disciplinary action of a student, but said the district's policy 
spells out what action the district takes concerning drugs.

According to the district's policy, a student who sells, gives or 
delivers to another person or possesses, uses or is under the 
influence of marijuana, a controlled substance or a dangerous drug in 
an amount not constituting a felony offense must be placed in a 
Disciplinary Alternative Education Program.

A student who commits a felony offense under the Texas penal code is 
automatically expelled, according to the policy.

"This isn't a problem that starts at the schools, but it is often a 
problem that is caught at the schools," Houseal said.

How long a student attends class in the alternative education program varies.

Today, there are 18 students in the district's alternative education 
program at the Tivy Education Center out of a district of 4,900 kids. 
The program is for students in the sixth through 12th grades and has 
capacity for up to 50.

A Communitywide Issue

"What's happening in the schools is a small percentage compared to 
what's happening in our community," Young said.

Young said the problems with teen use of drugs and alcohol is a 
communitywide issue that has to be addressed by the whole community. 
The Safe Homes Initiative is one way the district tries to involve 
parents in the drug and alcohol prevention efforts.

Parents who sign up to take part in the Safe Homes Initiative pledge 
to promote a zero-tolerance approach to keeping drugs and alcohol out 
of hands of children. They also promise not to provide drugs or 
alcohol to kids in their homes, to communicate with other parents and 
to call crime stoppers if they observe something suspicious in their 
neighborhoods.

This year, parents in almost 900 homes have signed up for the 
program, Young said. She said the program helps encourage 
communication between kids and their parents and among parents.

"We all, as a community, need to help our teens make good decisions," 
Young said.

The district also invites community speakers to come into the schools 
to talk to students about drugs and alcohol. Next month, at the end 
of October, campuses across the district will take part in Red Ribbon 
Week, a week of drug awareness activities.

The 2005 survey of students used the Texas Prevention Impact Index 
and asked students about knowledge, attitudes and behavior. Along 
with alcohol use, the survey indicated that about 30 percent of 
students had used cigarettes, about 19 percent had used marijuana and 
about 3 percent had used cocaine.
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MAP posted-by: Elaine