School Board Hears Of Student Alcohol And Drug Use

By Eliza Hallabeck

Assistant Superintendent of Schools Linda Gejda presented information to the Board of Education December 21 on the student survey results on alcohol and drug use in town.

The survey was administered to students in April of last year, according to Dr Gejda.

“Since the mid-1990s Newtown has been surveying student attitudes and behaviors related to substance use,” said Dr Gejda, “and beginning in the year 2000, the survey took the form of the Governor’s Prevention Initiative For Youth.”

According to Dr Gejda’s survey report a new consultant, Archie Swindell, was used this year for analysis of the results. District Health Coordinator Judy Blanchard was present at the school board meeting to help Dr Gejda with her presentation to the board.

“The information we received from Newtown youth is also compared to national information as well,” said Dr Gejda.

Approximately 150 students in each of the participating grades, 7th through 12th, were surveyed, according to Dr Gejda’s report.

The report found binge drinking, imbibing four or more drinks, continues to increase with students in grades 11 and 12. The survey showed a roughly 41 percent increase in binge drinking. It also showed more than 50 percent of responders in grade 11 and 12 indicated recent alcohol use.

The report continued to show grades 7 through 10 a downward trend in the prevalence of alcohol was reported both in Newtown and nationally.

Students who reported ever smoking a cigarette or drinking an alcoholic beverage has decreased, corresponding with the national response. However in grades 11 and 12, more than half of Newtown students reported consuming alcohol in the past 30 days, higher than the response nationally, according to Dr Gejda’s summary.

The survey also asked students to respond to using other drugs like cocaine, crack, hallucinogens and MDMA (ecstasy).

“The numbers of Newtown youth using illicit drugs other than marijuana were small,” Dr Gejda’s summary reported.

The survey showed, however, that 50.7 percent of 11th and 12th graders had used marijuana, and that Newtown youth in grade 12 reported a higher incidence of marijuana use than the national average.

In a conclusion for the summary Dr Gejda reported a concern for the increased use of marijuana in a student’s lifetime between 2005 results and 2009 results.

“Correlations within the 2009 survey indicate that 24 percent of youth who have used marijuana during their lifetime have also tried using other illicit drugs like cocaine, PCP or ecstasy,” Dr Gejda wrote in the summary.

Over the counter drugs, like Robitussin, as Ms Blanchard used as an example during the meeting, were reported as being used by students in all grade levels, and Dr Gejda said the national trend for over the counter drug use is also trending up.

“In terms of other drugs inhalants are the most often used other drugs in all of the grade levels,” Dr Gejda told the school board.

The survey also asked students how they perceive availability of alcohol in Newtown.

“The role of parents in prevention of use of alcohol and other substances can not be overemphasized,” the report reads. “Most youth (85 percent) said they feel close to their parents, a figure that has not changed over the years.”

Dr Gejda said students who reported using alcohol also reported they were less likely to talk to their parents.

Board member Richard Gaines asked whether students’ perceived availability of alcohol and other drugs could be awareness or a reality.

“Is it just that we have the same level of kids who are out there aware of this,” said Mr Gaines, “and suddenly their eyes are open and they are perceiving things differently. Or is there really a problem? Because if you look at these numbers you would immediately leap to, oh my goodness, there is a problem.”

Ms Blanchard said prevention is not just educating students, it is also working with parents.

“One of the things that concerns me, is the ‘Drinking With Parents Aware,’” said school board member Christopher Lagana. “It really looks like there is a laissez faire attitude by parents that a drink is not going to hurt. The reality is once you are an adult it is not, but as a child growing up you need to have that discipline in there. It is just not acceptable. It looks like it is getting easier to get.”

He said it is hard to conceive of parents not minding their children. “I hate to say it that way,” Mr Lagana said, “but that is what it looks like. I think the adults need those horror stories just as much as the kids do.”

After the meeting Ms Bittman said he was heartened by how much time board members wanted to spend on discussing the survey.

“Because a huge part of our students’ successes are what they are doing outside of the classroom,” said Ms Bittman.

A full audio recording of the school board hearing and discussing the 2009 Student Survey Report is available at www.newtownbee.com.