DHSS Press Release

DELAWARE STUDENTS' TOBACCO AND MARIJUANA SMOKING DOWN

DHSS/UD School Survey Suggests Prescription Drug Abuse is Emerging Concern

A new school survey, released today by Delaware Health and Social Services (DHSS) and the University of Delaware (UD) Center for Drug and Alcohol Studies, shows that the use of tobacco, marijuana and ecstasy by students continues to decline.

But the study also suggests that more Delaware students are abusing prescription medications such as Oxycontin and Ritalin.

In 2003, 10 percent of 11th graders and 11 percent of 8th graders reported smoking cigarettes in the past month, which mark statistically significant declines since 2001. Compared to the high point of 1998, cigarette smoking has declined by almost 43 percent for 11th graders and 56 percent for 8th graders. Levels of smoking are the lowest they have been since the survey was first done in 1989.

In 2003, 25 percent of 11th graders reported smoking marijuana within the past month. This is the same as reported in the 2002 survey. Among 8th graders, however, there was a decline of 2 percentage points in the number of students reporting past-month use. The 2003 estimates of past-month marijuana use are the lowest reported since 1995. And ecstasy use declined by more than 50 percent between 2001 and 2003, reversing the upward trend since between 1999 and 2001.

Of the 20,000 students surveyed, 12 percent of 11th graders and 5 percent of 8th graders reported abusing prescription painkillers, such as Oxycontin, codeine, Percocet and Tylenol 3. Psychoactive medications - such as Ritalin, Adderall, Cylert and Concerta - followed painkillers in the list of most abused drugs. This mirrors recent national findings that the illegal diversion of prescription medications is an emerging youth drug problem.

In 2003, there was an increase in 5th, 8th, and 11th graders who thought there was a "great risk" from smoking a pack of cigarettes a day. The change was most evident for 5th graders. "The results of this year's study show that, when it comes to the dangers of tobacco, marijuana, and ecstasy use, we are beginning to reach Delaware's young people. They hear us," Governor Ruth Ann Minner said. "We need to continue to discourage smoking. And now, we need to add the message that prescription drugs, when used inappropriately, can be dangerous too - and not only dangerous, but also addictive and deadly."

Some other findings from the study were:

Among both 8th and 11th graders, past month substance use - whether cigarettes, alcohol, or marijuana - was highly correlated with other delinquent behaviors such as gang fights, stealing, illegal entry, and trouble with police. Substance use was also highly correlated with gambling for money or possessions.

Binge drinking (three or more drinks at a time in the past two weeks) was high for both 8th and 11th graders: 28 percent of all 11th graders and 11 percent of all 8th graders. And most students who reported having one drink in the past month also reported binge drinking in the past 2 weeks.

The percentage of 11th graders who report drinking and driving increased in 2003 after several years of decline. And about one out of eight students in each of the 8th and 11th grades reported riding in a car with a drinking driver in the past month.

On a positive note, for all grades, the more students reported that they got along well with their parents, did not fight with their parents, and that they communicated with their parents, the less likely they were to use drugs. Positive parental involvement seems to be a strong protective factor, especially for middle schoolers.

Surveys are anonymous, and statistics are based on self-reporting. The school survey is conducted by UD's Center for Drug and Alcohol Studies and administered by DHSS' Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health (DSAMH). In 2003, the survey was funded by the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention under the Delaware State Incentive Grant and the State Block grant. Additional critical support also came from the Delaware Legislature and the Delaware Health Fund. Besides DSAMH, planning for the study included individual school districts, the Department of Education, and the Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families. The full 119 page report is online at the Drug-Free Delaware website, http://www.state.de.us/drugfree/2003rpt/atda2003.pdf. More information on the study can be obtained from Steven Martin, Senior Scientist at the University of Delaware (302 831-6107, martin@udel.edu).

The study, "Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Abuse among Delaware Students," has been conducted annually since 1989 and tracks trends in substance abuse and other risk factors among 5th, 8th and 11th graders in Delaware public schools. It is the only study providing information on elementary school students, and it is the only study large enough to provide separate reports on each Delaware county. The results of this survey are supported by the results of another recently released study, the 2003 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS). The Delaware YRBS is sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Delaware Department of Education.

Delaware Health and Social Services is committed to improving the quality of the lives of Delaware's citizens by promoting health and well-being, fostering self-sufficiency, and protecting vulnerable populations.