Pubdate: 3 Feb 1999 Source: Willamette Week (OR) Contact: http://www.wweek.com/ Mail: 822 SW 10th Ave., Portland, OR 97205 FAX: (503) 243-1115 Author: Nigel Jaquiss NEWSBUZZ: WHAT ARE THEY SMOKING IN THOSE NEWSROOMS? Is Oregon Really Overrun With Booze-Guzzling, Bong-Hitting, Glue-Sniffing Teenagers? You might think so based on how the local media treated the release of the 1998 Oregon Public School Drug Use Survey last week. The coverage is typified by The Oregonian's Jan. 27 headline on page D1: "Data give bad news on teen substance abuse." A reading of the survey, which polled eighth-graders and 11th-graders from across the state, showed a far less alarming story. For example: * Marijuana use among eighth- and 11th-graders was down from the previous survey in 1996. * Alcohol use was down among eighth-graders. It was unchanged for 11th-graders. * The Illicit Drug Index, which measures students' use of one or more substances excluding alcohol or tobacco, was also down for eighth-graders and unchanged for 11th-graders. In fact, of all the categories surveyed, only tobacco use among 11th-graders showed a significant increase--a worrisome sign to be sure but hardly the whole story. Barbara Cimaglio, who directs the state Office of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Programs, commissioned the survey. Although she was interviewed for The Oregonian's story, Cimaglio was surprised at the tenor of most of the coverage. Charts that accompanied the article graphically displayed the improved results in some categories, but the text focused on the absolute numbers of kids using controlled substances. Although Cimaglio is quick to add that drug and alcohol use is still far too high among students, she notes that in every major category eighth-graders--presumably more receptive to anti-substance abuse messages than 11th-graders--showed improvement over the 1996 survey. "We're interpreting it as good news that we've stemmed the tide," Cimaglio says. "The media obviously want to make things more dramatic." - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake