Saratoga News

SHS students participate in survey on use of drugs

By Michelle Alaimo

Thirty minutes. That is all it took for faculty at Saratoga High School to gain insight into their students' drug and alcohol use.

All of the students at the school took the American Drug and Alcohol Survey--which consisted of more than 70 questions--on Nov.13. The anonymous test separates test-takers by class levels and is identical to the survey given to Los Gatos High School students earlier this year, SHS Principal Kevin Skelly said.

The survey asks questions such as: How often in the last month have you gotten drunk? Do you smoke cigarettes? Have you ever tried cocaine, crack, LSD or heroin? and Have you ever used marijuana?

LGHS students have been taking the Community Against Substance Abuse (CASA) survey for several years. Results from Los Gatos released last May show that drug use at the school was significantly higher than the average nationwide. The scores also showed there has been a 19 percent increase in the use of alcohol among seniors at LGHS since their freshman year.

Since then, LGHS has toyed with the idea of introducing drug testing at the school and now has a drug-sniffing dog that makes random checks of the school at least twice a month.

After the results from Los Gatos were released, Skelly said, Los Gatos-Saratoga High School District board members mentioned they would like to see a similar survey done at SHS.

However, Superintendent Cynthia Ranii said the voiced concern was not a resolution and that each school must decide whether or not to conduct the survey.

But she added, "It is better to seek out the data than to not know it."

The tests were sent out to an independent firm in Colorado on Nov. 17, and the results from the survey should be back in 30 days, Skelly said. Results will be announced at a future board meeting.

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