TEXAS SCHOOL SURVEY OF DRUG AND ALCOHOL USE

LIBERTY-EYLAU ISD

SECONDARY EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

OVERVIEW

In the Spring of 1995, the Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse, in conjunction with
the Public Policy Research Institute at Texas A&M University, administered a survey to
students in grades 8 and 10 in the Liberty-Eylau Independent School District (LEISD). A total
of 184 students completed the questionnaire, which asked about students' experiences with
alcohol and drugs. Of that number, 6 surveys were excluded from analysis because students did
not indicate their grade or age, or because they were identified as exaggerators (i.e., claimed to
have used a non-existent drug or reported overly excessive drug use). The final number of
surveys included in the overall analysis was 178.1

Students' responses to the questionnaire indicate that:

•Forty-eight percent of Liberty-Eylau ISD students reported using tobacco at least once
during their lifetimes, and 22 percent said they had used tobacco during the past
month.

•Five percent of Liberty-Eylau ISD students said they smoke cigarettes on a daily basis,
while 2 percent reported using a smokeless tobacco product on a daily basis.

•Seventy-three percent of Liberty-Eylau ISD students said they had used alcohol at least
once during their lifetimes, and 38 percent reported using alcohol during the past
month.

•Seven percent of Liberty-Eylau ISD students reported attending at least one class
during the past year while "drunk," and 12 percent of district 10th grade students
said they had driven a car at least once during the past year after having "a good
bit to drink."

•Lifetime use of inhalants was reported by 18 percent of Liberty-Eylau students, while

past-month inhalant use was reported by 6 percent.

•Twenty-three percent of Liberty-Eylau ISD students reported using marijuana at least

once during their lifetimes, and 12 percent said they had used marijuana during
the past month.

1 The percentages referred to in the executive summary were taken from the tables found in "Part I: District
Survey Results." Due to the differences in rounding procedures, there may be slight discrepancies between the
percentages referred to in the tables and those reflected in the executive summary.

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•Liberty-Eylau ISD students are most likely to turn to friends for help with a drug or
alcohol problem (78 percent) and least likely to consult another adult in school,
such as a teacher or a nurse (29 percent).

Tobacco

Between 1992 and 1994, the general use of tobacco (including cigarettes and smokeless
products) among students statewide stayed much the same.2 Forty-eight percent of Liberty-
Eylau students reported general tobacco use at least once during their lifetimes. 3 Twenty-two
percent of Liberty-Eylau ISD students said they had used a tobacco product during the past
month.

Forty-seven percent of Liberty-Eylau students reported smoking cigarettes at least once during
their lifetimes, and 21 percent said they had smoked cigarettes during the past month. Smoking
cigarettes on a daily basis was reported by 5 percent of district students, while 10 percent said
most or all of their close friends smoke cigarettes.

Lifetime use of smokeless tobacco products was reported by 15 percent of LEISD students,
while 5 percent said they had used a smokeless tobacco product during the past month. Using a
smokeless tobacco product on a daily basis was reported by 2 percent of district students, and 4
percent said most or all of their close friends use smokeless tobacco.

Alcohol

Alcohol is the most widely used substance among students statewide and in the Liberty-Eylau
ISD. Alcohol use among secondary students in 1994 was similar to that reported in 1992.
Seventy-three percent of Liberty-Eylau students reported consuming alcohol at least once
during their lifetimes. Thirty-eight percent of Liberty-Eylau ISD students said they had
consumed alcohol during the past month.

The alcoholic beverages most often consumed by Liberty-Eylau students are wine coolers (64
percent) and beer (61 percent). Thirty-two percent of LEISD students said they drink wine
coolers weekly or monthly, and 26 percent said they drink beer on a weekly or monthly basis.

"Binge drinking" is the consumption of five or more beers, wine coolers, servings of wine, or
drinks with liquor at one time. Past-year "binge drinking" of wine coolers was reported by 45
percent of LEISD students, while 24 percent said they usually drink five or more wine coolers
2 Statewide data is collected every other year. The statewide data used for comparison purposes in the district
report and executive summary is taken from the results of the survey administered in 1994.

3 Because a non-standard grade combination was used in this district, no state data for 8th and 10th grades
combined are available for comparisons throughout this report; and due to the small number of students
surveyed in this district, no between-grade comparisons can be made.

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at a time on average when they drink. Thirty-nine percent of Liberty-Eylau ISD students
reported "binge drinking" beer at least once during the past year, while 20 percent said they
usually drink five or more beers at a time on average when they drink.

Seven percent of Liberty-Eylau students reported attending at least one class during the past
school year while "drunk." Twelve percent of LEISD 10th grade students said that they had
driven a car after having "a good bit to drink" at least once during the past year. Driving while
intoxicated four or more times during the past year was reported by 3 percent of district 10th
graders.

Students were asked about the availability of alcohol, its use among friends, and its use at
parties. Seventy-nine percent of Liberty-Eylau ISD students said beer, wine, wine coolers, or
liquor were somewhat easy or very easy to obtain. Thirty-nine percent of district students
reported most or all of their close friends drink alcohol, and 43 percent responded "from
friends" when asked where they obtained alcohol most of the time or always. "Difficulties of
any kind" with friends because of one's own drinking was reported by 6 percent of LEISD
students.

Thirty-three percent of Liberty-Eylau students said alcohol was used at most or all of the parties
they attended in the past school year. Forty-five percent of district students responded "at
parties" when asked where they obtain alcohol most of the time or always, while 9 percent of
LEISD students said they get alcohol "from the store" most of the time or always.

Students were asked how many days during the school year they were absent from class due to
an illness or for some other reason, and how many days they had been in trouble because of
conduct or attitude problems. Fewer LEISD students who had not been absent since the Fall
reported having used alcohol during the past month (21 percent) than did district students who
said they had missed four or more days of school (44 percent). Sixty-seven percent of the
district students who had experienced difficulties with school officials on four or more days
reported using alcohol during the past 30 days. By contrast, only 17 percent of district students
who had not experienced difficulties with school officials because of conduct problems had
used alcohol within the past 30 days.

Parental attitudes can be a major factor in whether or not a student uses alcohol or drugs. When
asked how their parents feel about kids their age drinking beer, 81 percent of Liberty-Eylau
students said their parents strongly or mildly disapprove. Five percent of district students said
they "don't know" how their parents feel about kids their age drinking beer, and 8 percent said
their parents neither approve nor disapprove.

Inhalants4

4 Lifetime and current inhalant use figures have been adjusted to reflect reported use of both specific inhalants
and inhalant use generally. Some students responded positive to specific use without responding positive to
generic use. Some students responded positive to generic use but not specific inhalants.

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In general, inhalants are common, licit substances (paints, thinners, correction fluid, glue, etc.)
which, when sniffed, huffed, or inhaled, produce an intoxicating effect. Between 1992 and
1994, use of inhalants among students statewide decreased somewhat. Eighteen percent of
Liberty-Eylau students reported using inhalants at least once during their lifetimes. Six percent
of Liberty-Eylau ISD students said they had used inhalants during the past month.

One percent of LEISD students reported most or all of their close friends use inhalants, and 4
percent said they had attended at least one class during the past school year while "high" on
inhalants. Eleven percent of LEISD students said they had used two or more different kinds of
inhalant substances during their lifetimes.

Ten percent of Liberty-Eylau students reported inhaling gasoline, 9 percent said they had
inhaled correction fluid/Liquid Paper, 9 percent reported inhaling substances in the "other
inhalants" category, 8 percent said they had inhaled liquid/spray paint, 5 percent said they had
inhaled glue, 5 percent said they had inhaled paint thinner, and 2 percent reported inhaling
substances in the "other sprays" category at least once during their lifetimes.

Illicit Drugs

Illicit drugs are defined as controlled substances and include marijuana, cocaine (powdered
form and crack), uppers (stimulants), downers (narcotics), hallucinogens, and ecstasy. Between
1992 and 1994, the use of illicit drugs among students statewide increased. The use of
marijuana, the most frequently used illicit substance, also increased among students statewide
over that two-year period.

In the Liberty-Eylau ISD, 25 percent of students reported use of illicit drugs at least once during
their lifetimes, while 16 percent of LEISD students said they had used one or more illicit
substances three or more times. Liberty-Eylau students who said they have used illicit drugs
reported using them an average of 1.2 times in the past month and 3.9 times during their
lifetimes.

Twenty-three percent of LEISD students reported using marijuana at least once in their
lifetimes. Past-month marijuana use was reported by 12 percent of Liberty-Eylau ISD students.
Ten percent of LEISD students reported attending at least one class in the past year while
"stoned" on marijuana. Driving under the influence of drugs at least once during the past year
was reported by 9 percent of Liberty-Eylau ISD 10th grade students.

Forty-nine percent of LEISD students said marijuana was somewhat or very easy to obtain, and
19 percent reported most or all of their close friends use marijuana. Four percent of district
students said they had been in "difficulties of any kind" with their friends because of their own
drug use. Twenty percent of the Liberty-Eylau ISD students said that marijuana and/or other
drugs were used at most or all of the parties they attended during the school year.

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None of the Liberty-Eylau ISD students who had not been absent since the Fall reported having
used marijuana during the past month, while 13 percent who said they had missed four or more
days of school said they had smoked marijuana during the past month. One percent of district
students who had not been in trouble with school officials reported using marijuana within the
past 30 days. By contrast, 33 percent of district students who had been in trouble with school
officials on four or more days reported using marijuana during the past 30 days.

When asked about parental attitudes toward marijuana use, Liberty-Eylau students reported a
disapproval rate of 93 percent. Four percent of district students said they "don't know" how
their parents feel about kids their age using marijuana, while 2 percent said their parents neither
approve nor disapprove.

Uppers are the next most frequently used illicit substance among Liberty-Eylau ISD students (8
percent). Five percent of LEISD students reported using downers, 4 percent said they had used
hallucinogens, 3 percent said they had used powdered cocaine, 2 percent reported using crack,
2 percent reported using ecstasy, and 1 percent said they had used steroids at least once during
their lifetimes.

CHARACTERISTICS ASSOCIATED WITH DRUG USE

Statewide, female students were less likely to have used drugs than were male students. In the
Liberty-Eylau ISD, male students were nearly twice as likely to have used an inhalant and over
three times more likely to have used powdered cocaine or an upper than were district female
students. In addition, LEISD male students were the only reported users of crack,
hallucinogens, steroids, or ecstasy in the district. There were no other significant differences by
gender among LEISD students with regard to the use of tobacco products, alcohol, marijuana,
or downers.

In the statewide survey, students living in two-parent homes reported lower drug use than did
students living in other family situations. LEISD students living in other family situations were
somewhat more likely to have smoked marijuana and over three times more likely to have used
an upper or a downer than were those district students living in homes with two parents. In
addition, LEISD students living in other family situations were the only reported users of
ecstasy in the district. On the other hand, Liberty-Eylau students living with both parents were
somewhat more likely to have used an inhalant than were their counterparts living in other
family situations, and those students living in two-parent homes were the only reported users of
steroids in the district. There were no other significant differences by living arrangement
among Liberty-Eylau ISD students with regard to the use of tobacco products, alcohol, or other
illicit substances.

When asked where they would go for help with a drug or alcohol problem, the largest
percentage of Liberty-Eylau students said they would seek help from their friends (78 percent).
Seventy-one percent of LEISD students said they would seek help from an adult friend or
relative, and 52 percent said they would turn to their parents. District students are least likely to

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seek help from another adult in school, such as a teacher or nurse (29 percent), or a counselor or
program in school (33 percent). Since school began in the Fall, 6 percent of Liberty-Eylau
students reported seeking help for any problems connected with alcohol or drug use from
someone other than family or friends.

Ninety percent of Liberty-Eylau ISD students said they had obtained information about drugs
and alcohol from a school source since classes began in the Fall. "An assembly program" was
reported by 72 percent of district students as a source for information about drugs and alcohol.
Sixty percent of LEISD students said "an invited school guest" was a source for this
information, and 57 percent reported getting information about drugs and alcohol from a
"health class."

The influence of drug education programs may be reflected in students' attitudes toward the use
of specific substances. Ninety-one percent of Liberty-Eylau students believe that powdered
cocaine use is "very dangerous," and 89 percent believe that crack use is "very dangerous."
Seventy-six percent of LEISD students believe that inhalant use is "very dangerous," and 68
percent believe that marijuana use is "very dangerous." By contrast, the perceived danger of
alcohol and tobacco use is lower. Only 48 percent of LEISD students feel that it is "very
dangerous" to use alcohol, while 40 percent believe that tobacco use is "very dangerous."