Saratoga News

SHS drug survey shows Saratoga kids below the national average

Officials say results still are 'unacceptably high'

Hallucinogens are popular

By Michelle Alaimo

Students at Saratoga High School are below the national average for drug and alcohol use, according to survey results released last week. But school officials said that the numbers are still higher than they are comfortable with.

"When looking at the results, it's a matter of 'Is the cup half full, or is the cup half empty?' " principal Kevin Skelly said.

The survey, sponsored by Students Taking A New Direction (STAND), was administered last November to 93 percent of the students at the school. Of the 990 students who took the anonymous survey, 264 were ninth-graders, 270 were 10th-graders, 222 were 11th-graders and 234 were 12th-graders. This is the second time the American Drug and Alcohol Survey has been administered to SHS students. The first time was during the 1990-91 school year. The survey, which is identical to one given to students at Los Gatos High School every year, was given to students after members of the Los Gatos-Saratoga Joint Union High School board mentioned last spring they would like to see a similar survey done at SHS.

This year's student drug and alcohol use is down in every category--except for marijuana, which is at about the same level--compared to that of the 1990-91 students who took the survey.The results show that as students go through high school, the amount of experimentation increases, Skelly said.

In a written review of the results, school officials stated, "The data from the survey reveal that drug and alcohol use among Saratoga High School students is at unacceptably high levels."

According to a question on the survey asking students which drug they have used in the past 12 months, SHS 12th-graders answered:

*47 percent have been drunk, compared to the national average of 52 percent;

*37 percent have used marijuana, compared to the national average of 36 percent;

*13 percent have used hallucinogens, compared to the national average of 10 percent; and

*3 percent have used narcotics other than heroin, compared to the national average of 5 percent.

Twelfth-grade students indicated no use of heroin and a 1 percent use of downers and PCP.

Ninth-grade students had low results in most categories, with many, including cocaine, nitrites, downers, PCP, heroin and other narcotics, at a use level of less than 1 percent in the past 12 months. However, ninth-graders did indicate a 19 percent use of marijuana, and 15 percent said they have been drunk in the past 12 months.

When students were asked about the perceived availability of certain drugs, 78 percent of 12th-graders surveyed said marijuana was "fairly easy" or "very easy" to obtain, compared to the national average of 89 percent.

The report also stated that the school needs help in dealing with drug and alcohol problems because most drug and alcohol use is done with friends and outside of school.

Skelly said STAND and the school plan to do more research on some of the results, including those on hallucinogen use. The report states that nationwide, hallucinogen use has been on the increase for the past three years.

School officials are still in the process of analyzing the results before deciding what type of drug-prevention programs to initiate. STAND currently works with students in educating them about drug and alcohol use, Skelly said. Other programs include AIDS week, course work, open gym on Saturday nights and marathon days during which self-esteem workshops are offered all day long.

Skelly said SHS plans to conduct the survey again in a couple years. SHS will hold a parent meeting on Feb. 4 at 7:30 p.m. in the library to discuss the results. The school will also hold a program on March 10 at 7 p.m. in the library to help parents identify signs of drug use in their children.

[ Back to Contents Page | Saratoga News Home Page | Archives ]