Monday, March 28, 2005

The use and perception of alcohol, tobacco and illicit drugs by Simpson County students is alarming but average, according to a survey of 6th, 8th, 10th and 12th graders conducted in the fall of 2004.

The survey was part of the Kentucky Incentives for Prevention (KIP) report issued to the local Board of Education last Thursday night. Surveys were also taken in 2000 and 2001 in Simpson County, and school officials will use the information to look for trends and to map out strategies to combat the problems.

“This survey, in terms of usage and effect, is more of a reflection of community issues rather than school issues. It shows that there is not a lot of abuse at school but more outside of school,” said Simpson County Superintendent Jim Flynn. “We’re going to look at the data and determine what are we doing to educate students and the community. It is obvious that what we are doing is not having the positive effects we want to.”

Flynn said the survey shows that students have a “casual” attitude toward the adverse effects of alcohol, marijuana and cigarettes, and a good number also believe their parents condone such action. It also shows that many of their peers are taking part in dangerous activities. Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug in Simpson County and the nation.

For instance, students in grades 6, 8 and 10 in Simpson County were more likely to have a friend smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol or using marijuana in the past 30 days than those in the same grades in the region and state. However, students here in grades 6, 10 and 12 were less likely to have a friend using other drugs than their peers. Less Simpson County students believed marijuana was harmful than others in the region and state. But, more generally thought smoking and drinking were harmful.

“More of our kids are a bit more tolerate of these type of things than they should be. And you can bet that if four of their friends are using, then they will, too,” Flynn said. “We’re (school officials) not going to bury our heads in the sand...Parents also need to know who their children are hanging around with and what they are doing. We need to get the community involved and paying more attention to what their children are doing.”

Flynn said members of the area drug task force have agreed to come into the schools and to speak with the students about substance abuse. DARE programs continue, while alcohol, tobacco and illicit drug abuse is part of the curriculum, mainly in health classes.

“We’re working in the school system to be more intentional about addressing our students’ needs, but more importantly, it’s a parent and community as well,” said the superintendent.

The community must get involved, Flynn said, because the majority of students believe these substances are readily available and also believe they are a problem. Almost two in three said cigarettes, alcohol and marijuana are easy or sort of easy to get in Simpson County. Half of the seniors also said that it would be easy or sort of easy to obtain a handgun.

Students tend to give less than honest answers or exaggerate, but this survey included fake questions to root out erroneous responses. It claims to have a margin of error near zero. Here are the main points of the KIP survey of Simpson County students that was taken last fall:

•4 percent of 6th graders, 21 percent of 8th graders, 36 percent of 10th graders and 31 percent of 12th graders had smoke cigarettes in the last 30 days – all higher than the national averages.

•2 percent of 6th graders, 18 percent of 8th graders, 42 percent of 10th graders and 44 percent of 12th graders had used alcohol in the last 30 days;

•13 percent of 8th graders, 21 percent of 10th graders and 24 percent of 12th graders said they had used marijuana in the last 30 days – all above national averages.

•4 percent of 6th and 8th graders, 21 percent of 10 graders and 24 percent of 12th graders had used inhalants in the last 30 days – all under the national averages.

•2 percent of 8th graders, 1 percent of 10th graders and 3 percent of 12th graders had used crack cocaine in the last 30 days. The percentage of seniors was much higher than the region and state averages.

•2 percent of 6th graders, 1 percent of 8th graders, 0 percent of 10th graders and 3 percent of 12th graders had smoke crystal meth.

•1 percent of 6th graders, 7 percent of 8th graders, 6 percent of 10th graders and 7 percent of 12th graders had used over-the-counter medication to get high in the last 30 days.

•17 percent of 6th graders, 40 percent of 8th graders, 66 percent of 10th graders and 81 percent of 12th graders said it was easy or sort of easy to get alcohol.

•25 percent of 6th graders, 57 percent of 8th graders, 79 percent of 10 graders and 89 percent of 12th graders said it was easy or sort of easy to get cigarettes.

•9 percent of 8th graders, 30 percent of 10th graders and 35 percent of 12th graders said it was easy or sort of easy to get drugs.

•15 percent 6th graders, 23 percent of 8th graders, 39 percent of 10th graders and 51 percent of 12th graders said it was easy or sort of easy to buy a handgun.

•10 percent of 6th graders, 35 percent of 8th graders, 59 percent of 10th graders and 67 percent of 12th graders said it was easy or sort of easy to get marijuana.

•Students here fell generally safe from theft, physical harm and sexual advances. But, verbal threats were higher than average in the 8th, 10th and 12th graders.

•Less students than average believe their parents think its wrong for students their age to use cigarettes, marijuana and hard drugs.

•62 percent of the overall respondents believe tobacco is a problem, 57 percent believe drugs are a problem and 51 percent believe alcohol is a problem.

A national survey in 2003 showed substance abuse remains widespread among young Americans; however, a more recent survey of 50,000 students showed evidence in declines in illicit use of drugs, alcohol and tobacco.