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Dear
Ridgewood Parent:
Before I attempt an answer, let me report some
results of a 2001 survey conducted for the government
by the University of Michigan's Institute for Social
Research. It surveyed 44,300 students nationwide in
Grades 8, 10, and 12 in 424 public and private schools
in the 48 contiguous states ("Survey shows drop
in smoking by teens," The Record, Thursday, December
20, 2001)
For
eighth-graders, 12.2 % reported smoking in the previous
30 days, down from 14.6 % the year before. The peak
in the 1990s was 21 % in 1996. For 10th-graders, 21.3
% had smoked in the last 30 days, down from 23.9 percent
the year before and a high of 30.4 % in 1996. For
12th-graders, 29.5 % had smoked in the previous month...
down from 31.4 % in 2000. The peak in the 1990s was
36.5 % in 1997.
The
report noted that "Alcohol remains the most popular
drug with teens, though a slight reduction was reported
in 2001," 79.7 % of 12th-graders said they had
used alcohol, down from 80.3% the year before.Those
who admitted to having been drunk at some time rose
from 62.3 % to 63.9 % . For 10th-graders, 70.1 % admitted
some alcohol use, down from 71.4 %. Those who had
been drunk fell from 49.3 % to 48.2 %. And for eighth-graders,
50.5 % had had a drink, down from 51.7 %, and those
who had been drunk dropped from 25.1 % to 23.4 %.
Marijuana: 49 % of 12th-graders had used it at some
time, up from 48.8 percent the year before; 10th grade:
40.1 %, down from 40.3; eighth grade: 20.4 %, up from
20.3 %. For eighth-graders, 12.2 percent reported
smoking in the 30 days before they were surveyed,
down from 14.6 % the year before. The peak in the
1990s was 21% in 1996.
Use
by 12th graders of other drugs were down by less than
one percent from the previous year, with inhalant
use in 2001 at 13%; Hallucinogen use at 12.8%; LSD
use at 10.9%; Cocaine use at 8.2% and heroin use at
1.8%.....20,688 of the 12th graders kids surveyed
were still using one or more of these "other"heavy
duty drugs!
"These
important declines in teen smoking did not just happen
by chance," said Lloyd D. Johnston of the University
of Michigan. "A lot of individuals and organizations
have been making concerted efforts to bring down the
unacceptably high rates of smoking among our youth.
John P. Walters, director of National Drug Control
Policy, characterized the findings as "good news-bad
news."The explosive increases in drug use seen
in the early 1990s have stopped, he said, but too
many people still use illegal drugs.....It's time
to make the anti-drug effort catch up to the anti-tobacco
effort." (Dr. Bill note:..What parents don't
know will hurt their kids)
As
for your question, Ridgewood Parent, the sad fact
remains that most suburban parents are infected with
the "Not My Kid" syndrome. Your town learned
that 62% of your high school freshmen reported, among
other things,having attended a drinking party in the
past year; 41% reported use of marijuana! Without
such surveys, how are we going to know if we even
have a problem? I have to take the side of your school
board's present policy that parents be notified in
writing of any survey and be allowed to withdraw their
children if they so choose
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