Date: Fri 15-Sep-1995

Publication: Bee

Author: AMYD

Quick Words:

drugs-survey-marijuana

Full Text:

Survey Reveals Changing Attitudes About Drugs

B Y A MY D'O RIO

Should marijuana be legal?

There is a growing number of adults who think so.

There is certainly a growing number of parents who use it, even though they

have impressionable children in the house.

As society grows nearer to considering smoking a joint as acceptable as

drinking wine with dinner, students find fewer reasons to stay away from it,

said Alyson Haley, Newtown High School's substance abuse counselor.

Student attitudes toward marijuana are becoming similar to their attitude

about alcohol, she said.

"They have this attitude that as long as they are not doing crack or heroine,

they are okay," she said.

Ms Haley was not surprised that the recent drug survey, compared to one given

in 1993, showed more students consider marijuana to be a socially acceptable

drug.

The survey of sixth, seventh and tenth graders released last week indicates

drug use has increased; more eighth graders are using drugs and tobacco; and

the use of marijuana is on the rise.

Both Ms Haley and Judy Blanchard, the district's health consultant, said the

survey, given this spring, provides an accurate snapshot of drug use among the

town's youth. Even though high school students interviewed said students did

not answer the survey questions honestly, school officials said the overall

message from the survey is true.

High school and middle school students interviewed were not informed of the

survey results, but said the latest drug trend in their school is to use LSD.

The assumption is that it is safer.

"You see crack babies, not acid babies," said one senior who requested

anonymity.

There was no increase in the use of hallucinogens in the tenth-grade survey,

but there was a rise in the number of eighth-graders who reported using it in

a month's time.

Ms Haley said there has been a resurgence of LSD in the last few years, but

Police Chief Michael DeJoseph said he felt it was in decline. Chief DeJoseph

has not reviewed the survey yet.

Ms Blanchard said the survey confirmed beliefs that the seventh grade is a

critical year. Sixth graders reported little use and little tolerance for

drugs, while eighth-grade results showed students were beginning to use drugs,

she said.

Ms Blanchard said communication is one of the most effective means of

preventing drug abuse. Often, she said parents overreact to little problems,

so children are fearful to talk to them about big problems, like drug use.

She said how a parent approaches the topic is important.

For instance, if parents catch their child coming home drunk for the fourth

time, instead of accusing the child of horrible behavior, the parents should

calmly ask why the child feels it has been necessary to get so drunk.

This type of question is a gateway to a helpful discussion.

Binge drinking is another area of concern, Ms Blanchard said. More students

are drinking and using drugs "to get wasted" than a few years ago, and many

are using cars while doing it.

Both she and Ms Haley agreed the survey had some good news. They said efforts

to stem the rise in drug use at the high school seems to be working.

Ms Haley said while drug use is increasing, it is increasing at a slower rate

than in other communities. High school parents became alarmed about drug use

after the 1993 survey was released. Because of heightened awareness, the

addition of security officers and a drug counselor, Ms Blanchard and Ms Haley

said the school has also been able to curb the sale of drugs at school.

"It gives me hope that all is not useless," Ms Blanchard said.