Lancaster Eagle Gazette. Lancaster California Estados Unidos. 27 de septiembre de 2012

Survey: Drug, tobacco use declining among area high school students
1:47 AM, Sep 27, 2012


LANCASTER -- A recently completed study shows alcohol, marijuana and tobacco are being used significantly less in the last two years among local high school seniors.

The biennial Fairfield County Youth Survey included 2,690 responses from 10th- and 12th-graders in all Fairfield County public schools and Fisher Catholic High School. A total of 2,978 students answered a 36-question survey anonymously, with 288 incomplete surveys rejected.

"I think we have all made a difference and today's numbers I think indicate that," said Fairfield Medical Center CEO and president Mina Ubbing. "We've admitted we've had challenges with drug addiction in our community and have taken it on as a community."

Some of the conclusions:

» Alcohol use among 12th graders had declined to 21 percent in 2012, compared to 35 percent in 2010.

» Frequent marijuana use has declined form 20 percent in 2010 to 16 percent in 2012.

» Frequent tobacco use dropped from 23 percent in 2010 to 14 percent.

» Frequent prescription drug use also dropped from 6 percent in 2010 to 2 percent in 2012.

Fairfield County Sheriff Dave Phalen said the results reinforce what he has known about the community.

"I think there are some common fallacies about Fairfield County that are taken for truth, like we have kids that are filled with drugs and alcohol," Phalen said in response to the survey. "That's simply not the case. The overwhelming majority -- most -- of the children in our community don't have anything to do with drugs or alcohol."

Phalen said teenagers can't be scared into behavior, which many of the law enforcement, court and school programs do.

"You have to be straight with them and reason with them," Phalen said. "It's pretty clear we are doing a lot of things right and differently in attacking these problems and it's working."

One of the interesting findings from the survey is that the age of onset for alcohol, tobacco, marijuana and prescription drugs is at its oldest since the Fairfield County Youth Behavior Survey began in 2004, said Toni Ashton, director, Prevention Works for a Drug Free Fairfield County.

"This is important because the older they are when they first use them, the less chance they will have a problem with them in later life," Ashton said.

The study also found the incidence of suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts have also decreased from 2010. Sexual activity among seniors also reported a slight drop from 72 percent in 2010 to 68 percent in 2012.

"But it has remained constant, around 70 percent, since we started taking the survey," Ashton said.

Becky Edwards, executive director of Fairfield County Family, Adult and Children First Council, noted that another encouraging sign from the survey was that the survey respondents indicated more seniors had a trusted adult at home or at school.

She said this is important because the data showed that parents who establish and enforce rules, have a trusting relationship with their children, and provide opportunities for them to get involved in community and school activities can significantly influence whether their children engage in high risk behavior.

But there were also some troubling numbers, including the belief that marijuana use is less harmful than drinking alcohol. In the survey, 52 percent felt smoking marijuana once or twice a week had only a slight risk or no risk in harming themselves, compared to 28 percent who believed having five or more drinks of an alcoholic beverage once or twice a week presented a slight risk or no risk of harm. The survey also indicated past 30-day marijuana use is higher than that of tobacco for the first time.

cburnett@lancastereagle gazette.com; 740-681-4346
Twitter: @CarlBurnettJr
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