TEXAS SCHOOL SURVEY OF DRUG AND ALCOHOL USE

TIOGA 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 7 and 8 in the Tioga Independent School District (TISD). A total of 31
students completed the questionnaire, which asked about students' experiences with alcohol and
drugs. Of that number, 3 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 district analysis was 28.1

Students' responses to the questionnaire indicate that:

•Fifty percent of Tioga ISD students reported using tobacco at least once during their
lifetimes, and 18 percent said they had used tobacco during the past month.

•Four percent of Tioga ISD students said they smoke cigarettes on a daily basis, while 3
percent reported using a smokeless tobacco product on a daily basis.

•Sixty-three percent of Tioga ISD students said they had used alcohol at least once
during their lifetimes, and 23 percent reported using alcohol during the past
month.

•Three percent of Tioga ISD students reported attending at least one class during the
past year while "drunk."

•Lifetime use of inhalants was reported by 15 percent of Tioga ISD students, while
past-month inhalant use was reported by 4 percent.

•Eleven percent of Tioga ISD students reported using marijuana at least once during
their lifetimes, and 8 percent said they had used marijuana during the past
month.

•Tioga ISD students are most likely to turn to friends for help with a drug or alcohol
problem (77 percent) and least likely to consult another adult in school, such as a
nurse or teacher (47 percent).
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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Tobacco

Between 1992 and 1994, the general use of tobacco (including cigarettes and smokeless
products) among students statewide stayed much the same. 2 Overall, the general use of tobacco
products among Tioga ISD 7th and 8th grade students is similar to that reported by their
counterparts statewide.

Fifty percent of Tioga students reported general tobacco use at least once during their lifetimes
(46 percent statewide).3 Eighteen percent of Tioga ISD students said they had used a tobacco
product during the past month (20 percent statewide).

Forty-six percent of Tioga students reported smoking cigarettes at least once during their
lifetimes (44 percent statewide), and 18 percent said they had smoked cigarettes during the past
month (18 percent statewide). Smoking cigarettes on a daily basis was reported by 4 percent of
district students (4 percent statewide), while 7 percent said most or all of their close friends
smoke cigarettes.4

Lifetime use of smokeless tobacco products was reported by 14 percent of TISD students (13
percent statewide), while 3 percent said they had used a smokeless tobacco product during the
past month (4 percent statewide). Using a smokeless tobacco product on a daily basis was
reported by 3 percent of district students (1 percent statewide), and 3 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 Tioga ISD.
Alcohol use among secondary students in 1994 was similar to that reported in 1992. Overall,
Tioga ISD 7th and 8th grade students are drinking alcohol at rates somewhat similar to those
reported by their peers statewide.

Sixty-three percent of Tioga students reported consuming alcohol at least once during their
lifetimes (63 percent statewide). Twenty-three percent of Tioga ISD students said they had
consumed alcohol during the past month, a rate somewhat lower than that reported by their 7th
and 8th grade counterparts statewide (29 percent).

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 Due to the small number of students surveyed in this district, no between-grade comparisons can be made.

4 Because a non-standard grade combination was surveyed in this district, some statewide data are
unavailable for comparisons throughout this summary.

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The alcoholic beverages most often consumed by Tioga students are beer (56 percent/47
percent statewide) and wine coolers (55 percent/47 percent statewide), rates somewhat higher
than those reported by 7th and 8th grade students statewide. Thirty percent of TISD students
said they drink beer on a weekly or monthly basis (27 percent statewide), and 23 percent said
they drink wine coolers weekly or monthly (26 percent statewide).

"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 51
percent of TISD students (30 percent statewide), while 28 percent said they usually drink five
or more wine coolers at a time on average when they drink (15 percent statewide), rates higher
than those reported by 7th and 8th grade students statewide. Forty-five percent of Tioga ISD
students reported "binge drinking" beer at least once during the past year (29 percent statewide),
while 27 percent said they usually drink five or more beers at a time on average when they
drink (14 percent statewide), rates higher than those reported by their counterparts statewide.

Students were asked about the availability of alcohol, its use at school, its use among friends,
and its use at parties. Sixty-four percent of Tioga ISD students said beer, wine, wine coolers, or
liquor were somewhat easy or very easy to obtain (64 percent statewide). Three percent of
Tioga students reported attending at least one class during the past school year while "drunk," a
rate somewhat lower than that reported by 7th and 8th grade students statewide (9 percent).

Nineteen percent of district students reported most or all of their close friends drink alcohol (24
percent statewide), and 32 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 8 percent of TISD students (7 percent statewide).

Twenty-three percent of Tioga students said alcohol was used at most or all of the parties they
attended in the past school year (19 percent statewide). Thirty-two percent of district students
responded "at parties" when asked where they obtain alcohol most of the time or always, while
4 percent of TISD 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 TISD students who had not been absent since the Fall
reported having used alcohol during the past month (12 percent) than did district students who
said they had missed four or more days of school (35 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, none of the 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, 85 percent of Tioga students
said their parents strongly or mildly disapprove, a rate somewhat higher than that reported by
students statewide (77 percent). Seven percent of district students said they "don't know" how

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their parents feel about kids their age drinking beer, a rate somewhat lower than that reported by
their peers statewide (13 percent). Four percent of district students said their parents neither
approve nor disapprove of kids their age drinking beer (7 percent statewide).

Inhalants5

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. Overall, Tioga ISD 7th and 8th
grade students are using inhalants at rates somewhat similar to those reported by their
counterparts statewide.

Fifteen percent of Tioga students reported using inhalants at least once during their lifetimes, a
rate somewhat lower than that reported by 7th and 8th grade students statewide (22 percent).
Four percent of Tioga ISD students said they had used inhalants during the past month (7
percent statewide).

Eight percent of TISD students reported most or all of their close friends use inhalants (4
percent statewide), while none said they had attended class during the past school year while
"high" on inhalants (6 percent statewide). Fourteen percent of TISD students said they had used
two or more different kinds of inhalant substances during their lifetimes (14 percent statewide).

The inhalant substances most frequently used by Tioga ISD students were substances in the
"other inhalants" category (12 percent/10 percent statewide). Eight percent of district students
said they had inhaled gasoline (7 percent statewide), 8 percent said they had inhaled paint
thinner (7 percent statewide), 8 percent reported inhaling substances in the "other sprays"
category (5 percent statewide), 4 percent reported inhaling correction fluid/Liquid Paper (12
percent statewide), 4 percent said they had inhaled liquid/spray paint (8 percent statewide), and
4 percent said they had inhaled glue (7 percent statewide) 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 Tioga ISD, 15 percent of students reported use of illicit drugs at least once during their
lifetimes (19 percent statewide), while 11 percent of TISD students said they had used one or
5 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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more illicit substances three or more times (12 percent statewide), rates similar to those reported
by their 7th and 8th grade peers statewide. Statewide, students who said they had used illicit
drugs reported using them an average of 0.9 times in the past 30 days and 2.2 times during their
lives. Tioga students reported average usage rates of 0.9 times in the past month and 2.7 times
during their lifetimes.

Eleven percent of TISD students reported using marijuana at least once in their lifetimes, a rate
somewhat lower than that reported by 7th and 8th grade students statewide (17 percent).
Past-month marijuana use was reported by 8 percent of Tioga ISD students (8 percent
statewide). None of the TISD students reported attending class in the past year while "stoned"
on marijuana (7 percent statewide).

Eleven percent of TISD students said marijuana was somewhat or very easy to obtain, a rate
lower than that reported by 7th and 8th grade students statewide (21 percent). Eight percent of
district students reported most or all of their close friends use marijuana (12 percent statewide).
Four percent of district students said they had been in "difficulties of any kind" with their
friends because of their own drug use (5 percent statewide). None of the Tioga ISD students
said that marijuana and/or other drugs were used at most or all of the parties they attended
during the school year (9 percent statewide).

When asked about parental attitudes toward marijuana use, Tioga students reported a
disapproval rate of 93 percent, a rate somewhat higher than that reported by their peers
statewide (84 percent). Seven percent of district students said they "don't know" how their
parents feel about kids their age using marijuana (11 percent statewide), while none said their
parents neither approve nor disapprove (3 percent statewide).

Seven percent of TISD students reported using crack (2 percent statewide), 4 percent reported
using uppers (4 percent statewide), 4 percent reported using downers (4 percent statewide), 4
percent said they had used hallucinogens (3 percent statewide), 3 percent said they had used
powdered cocaine (3 percent statewide), and 3 percent said they had used steroids (2 percent
statewide) at least once during their lifetimes. None of the district students reported ever using
ecstasy (1 percent statewide).

DRUG AND ALCOHOL INFORMATION

When asked where they would go for help with a drug or alcohol problem, the largest
percentage of Tioga students said they would seek help from their friends (77 percent),
compared to 68 percent of 7th and 8th graders statewide. Sixty-three percent of TISD students
said they would seek help from an adult friend or relative (56 percent statewide), and 60 percent
said they would turn to their parents (58 percent statewide). District students are least likely to
seek help from another adult in school, such as a teacher or nurse (47 percent/37 percent
statewide), or a counselor or program in school (49 percent/43 percent statewide). Since school
began in the Fall, 12 percent of Tioga students reported seeking help for any problems

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connected with alcohol or drug use from someone other than family or friends (8 percent
statewide).

Seventy-eight percent of Tioga ISD students said they had obtained information about drugs
and alcohol from a school source since classes began in the Fall (81 percent statewide). "An
assembly program" was reported by 50 percent of district students as a source for information
about drugs and alcohol (56 percent statewide), while 50 percent said "an invited school guest"
was a source for this information (49 percent statewide). Twenty-one percent of district
students reported getting information about drugs and alcohol from a "health class," a rate lower
than that reported by their 7th and 8th grade counterparts statewide (47 percent).

The influence of drug education programs may be reflected in students' attitudes toward the use
of specific substances. All of the Tioga students believe that crack use is "very dangerous" (89
percent statewide), and all believe that powdered cocaine use is "very dangerous" (89 percent
statewide), rates higher than those reported by 7th and 8th grade students statewide. Ninety-
five percent of TISD students believe that inhalant use is "very dangerous" (75 percent
statewide), and 95* percent believe that marijuana use is "very dangerous" (76 percent
statewide), rates also higher than those reported by their counterparts statewide. By contrast,
the perceived danger of alcohol and tobacco use is lower. Only 38 percent of TISD students
feel that it is "very dangerous" to use alcohol, a rate lower than that reported by 7th and 8th
grade students statewide (50 percent). Forty-seven percent of Tioga ISD students believe that
tobacco use is "very dangerous" (49 percent statewide).