TEXAS SCHOOL SURVEY OF DRUG AND ALCOHOL USE

RIVER OAKS BAPTIST SCHOOL

SECONDARY EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

OVERVIEW

In the Spring of 1994, 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 River Oaks Baptist School (ROBS). A total of 109 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 River Oaks Baptist School analysis was 103.1

Students' responses to the questionnaire indicate that:

•Thirty-one percent of River Oaks Baptist School students reported using tobacco at
least once during their lifetimes, and 17 percent said they had used tobacco
during the past month.

•Two percent of ROBS students said they smoke cigarettes on a daily basis, while none
of the students reported using a smokeless tobacco product on a daily basis.

•Forty-five percent of River Oaks Baptist School students said they had used alcohol at
least once during their lifetimes, and 24 percent reported using alcohol during
the past month.

•Four percent of ROBS students reported attending at least one class during the past
year while "drunk."

•Lifetime use of inhalants was reported by 12 percent of River Oaks Baptist students,
while past-month inhalant use was reported by 5 percent.

•Six percent of ROBS students reported using marijuana at least once during their
lifetimes, and 1 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: River
Oaks Baptist School." 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 corresponding figures. Figures referenced
throughout this report are included in "Part III: Executive Summary."

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•River Oaks Baptist School students are most likely to turn to friends for help with a
drug or alcohol problem (86 percent) and least likely to consult a another adult
in school, such as a teacher or nurse (28 percent), or a counselor or program in
school (29 percent).

Tobacco

Over the last two years, the general use of tobacco (including cigarettes and smokeless
products) among 7th and 8th grade students statewide has stayed much the same. Overall, the
general use of tobacco products among River Oaks Baptist School 7th and 8th grade students is
somewhat lower than that reported by their counterparts statewide.

Thirty-one percent of ROBS students reported general tobacco use at least once during their
lifetimes, compared to 46 percent of students statewide.2 Seventeen percent of River Oaks
Baptist School students said they had used a tobacco product during the past month (20 percent
statewide).

Thirty-one percent of ROBS students reported smoking cigarettes at least once during their
lifetimes, a rate lower than that reported by students statewide (44 percent statewide).
Seventeen percent of ROBS students said they had smoked cigarettes during the past month (18
percent statewide). Smoking cigarettes on a daily basis was reported by 2 percent of River
Oaks Baptist students (4 percent statewide), while 14 percent said most or all of their close
friends smoke cigarettes (19 percent statewide).

The lifetime use of smokeless tobacco products was reported by 13 percent of ROBS students,
the same rate reported by 7th and 8th graders statewide. Two percent of ROBS students said
they had used a smokeless tobacco product during the past month (4 percent statewide). None
of the River Oaks Baptist School students reported using a smokeless tobacco product on a
daily basis (1 percent statewide), and 2 percent said most or all of their close friends use
smokeless tobacco (5 percent statewide).

Alcohol

Alcohol is the most widely used substance among students statewide and in the River Oaks
Baptist School. Alcohol use among 7th and 8th grade students statewide was similar to that
reported two years ago. Overall, River Oaks Baptist School 7th and 8th grade students are
drinking alcohol at rates somewhat lower than those reported by their peers statewide.

Forty-five percent of ROBS students reported consuming alcohol at least once during their
lifetimes, compared to 63 percent of 7th and 8th graders statewide. Twenty-four percent of

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

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River Oaks Baptist School students said they had consumed alcohol during the past month (29
percent statewide).

The alcoholic beverages most often consumed by ROBS students are beer (33 percent/47
percent statewide) and wine coolers (20 percent/47 percent statewide), rates lower than those
reported by their peers statewide. Thirteen percent of ROBS students said they drink beer on a
weekly or monthly basis (27 percent statewide), and 5* percent said they drink wine coolers
weekly or monthly (26 percent statewide), rates also lower than those reported by students
statewide.

"Binge drinking" is the consumption of five or more beers, wine coolers, servings of wine, or
drinks with liquor at one time. Twenty percent of River Oaks Baptist School students reported
"binge drinking" beer at least once during the past year (29 percent statewide), while 7 percent
said they usually drink five or more beers at a time on average when they drink (14 percent
statewide), rates somewhat lower than those reported by their counterparts statewide. Past-year
"binge drinking" of wine coolers was reported by 14 percent of ROBS students (30 percent
statewide), while 2 percent said they usually drink five or more wine coolers at a time on
average when they drink (15 percent statewide), rates lower than those reported by students
statewide.

Four percent of ROBS students reported attending at least one class during the past school year
while "drunk" (9 percent statewide).

Students were asked about the availability of alcohol, its use among friends, and its use at
parties. Seventy-five percent of River Oaks Baptist School students said beer, wine, wine
coolers, or liquor were somewhat easy or very easy to obtain, compared to 64 percent of
students statewide. Seventeen percent of River Oaks Baptist students reported most or all of
their close friends drink alcohol (29 percent statewide), and 15 percent responded "from
friends" when asked where they obtained alcohol most of the time or always. 3 "Difficulties of
any kind" with friends because of one's own drinking was reported by 8 percent of ROBS
students (7 percent statewide).

Sixteen percent of ROBS students said alcohol was used at most or all of the parties they
attended in the past school year (18 percent statewide). Seventeen percent of River Oaks
students responded "at parties" when asked where they obtain alcohol most of the time or
always, while 3 percent of ROBS 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 gotten into trouble because of
conduct or attitude problems. None of the ROBS students who had not been absent since the
Fall reported having used alcohol during the past month. However, 32 percent of River Oaks

3 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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Baptist students who said they had missed four or more days of school reported having used
alcohol during the past month. Seventy-four* percent of the River Oaks students who had
experienced difficulties with school officials on four or more days reported using alcohol during
the past 30 days. By contrast, only 19 percent of River Oaks Baptist 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, 86 percent of ROBS students
said their parents strongly or mildly disapprove, compared to 77 percent of students statewide.
Two percent of River Oaks Baptist students said they "don't know" how their parents feel about
kids their age drinking beer, a rate lower than that reported by students statewide (13 percent).
Eight percent of ROBS students said their parents neither approve nor disapprove (7 percent
statewide).

Inhalants4

In general, inhalants are common, licit substances (paints, thinners, correction fluid, glue, etc.)
which, when sniffed, huffed, or inhaled, produce an intoxicating effect. Over the last two years,
use of inhalants among 7th and 8th grade students statewide decreased. Overall, River Oaks
Baptist School 7th and 8th grade students are using inhalants at rates somewhat lower than
those reported by their counterparts statewide.

Twelve percent of ROBS students reported using inhalants at least once during their lifetimes,
compared to 22 percent of students statewide. Five percent of River Oaks Baptist School
students said they had used inhalants during the past month (7 percent statewide).

Two percent of ROBS students reported most or all of their close friends use inhalants (4
percent statewide), and 4 percent said they had attended at least one class during the past school
year while "high" on inhalants (5 percent statewide). Eight percent of ROBS students said they
had used two or more different kinds of inhalant substances during their lifetimes (13 percent
statewide).

The inhalant substances most frequently used by ROBS students were substances in the "other
inhalants" category (7 percent/10 percent statewide), correction fluid/Liquid Paper (5 percent/12
percent statewide), and glue (5 percent/7 percent statewide). Four percent of River Oaks
students said they had inhaled gasoline (7 percent statewide), 4 percent said they had inhaled
liquid/spray paint (8 percent statewide), and 3 percent said they had inhaled paint thinner (7
percent statewide) at least once during their lifetimes.

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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Illicit Drugs

Illicit drugs are defined as controlled substances and include marijuana, cocaine (powdered
form and crack), uppers (stimulants), downers (narcotics), hallucinogens, and ecstasy. Over the
last two years, the use of illicit drugs among 7th and 8th grade students statewide has increased.
The use of marijuana, the most frequently used illicit substance, has also increased among 7th
and 8th graders statewide over the last two years.

In the River Oaks Baptist School, 8 percent of students reported use of illicit drugs at least once
during their lifetimes (19 percent statewide), while 3 percent of ROBS students said they had
used one or more illicit substances three or more times (12 percent statewide), rates somewhat
lower than those reported by their peers statewide. Statewide, students who said they had used
illicit drugs reported using them an average of 2.2 times during their lives. ROBS students
reported an average usage rate of 0.5 times during their lifetimes.

Six percent of ROBS students reported using marijuana at least once in their lifetimes, a rate
lower than that reported by 7th and 8th graders statewide (17 percent). Past-month marijuana
use was reported by 1 percent of River Oaks Baptist School students (5 percent statewide).
Three percent of ROBS students reported attending at least one class in the past year while
"stoned" on marijuana (7 percent statewide).

Eighteen percent of ROBS students said marijuana was somewhat or very easy to obtain (30
percent statewide), and 1 percent reported most or all of their close friends use marijuana (12
percent statewide), rates lower than those reported by students statewide. Five percent of River
Oaks Baptist students said they had gotten into "difficulties of any kind" with their friends
because of their own drug use, the same rate reported by their peers statewide. Seven percent of
River Oaks Baptist School 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, ROBS students reported a
disapproval rate of 96 percent, compared to 84 percent of students statewide. One percent of
River Oaks students said they "don't know" how their parents feel about kids their age using
marijuana, a rate lower than that reported by their counterparts statewide (11 percent). None of
the River Oaks Baptist students said their parents neither approve nor disapprove of marijuana
use (3 percent statewide).

Other illicit substances were used by a small number of River Oaks Baptist School students.
Three percent of ROBS students reported using uppers (4 percent statewide), 3 percent reported
using downers (3 percent statewide), 2 percent said they had used steroids (2 percent statewide),
and 2 percent reported using ecstasy (1 percent statewide) at least once during their lifetimes.
None of the River Oaks Baptist students said they had ever used hallucinogens (3 percent
statewide).

CHARACTERISTICS ASSOCIATED WITH DRUG USE

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Statewide, female students were less likely to have used drugs than were male students. In the
River Oaks Baptist School, male 7th and 8th grade students were over two times more likely to
have used a tobacco product and over three times more likely to have used marijuana than were
River Oaks Baptist female 7th and 8th grade students. In addition, ROBS male 7th and 8th
graders were the only reported users of downers or ecstasy. On the other hand, River Oaks
Baptist female 7th and 8th graders were the only reported users of crack. There were no other
significant differences by gender among ROBS students with regard to the use of alcohol,
inhalants, or other illicit substances.

When asked where they would go for help with a drug or alcohol problem, the largest
percentage of ROBS students said they would seek help from their friends (86 percent), a rate
higher than that reported by students statewide (68 percent). Sixty-nine percent of ROBS
students said they would turn to their parents for help, compared to 58 percent of students
statewide. River Oaks Baptist students are least likely to seek help from another adult in school,
such as a teacher or nurse (28 percent/37 percent statewide), or a counselor or program in
school (29 percent/43 percent statewide), rates lower than those reported by their counterparts
statewide. Since school began in the Fall, 3 percent of ROBS students reported seeking help for
any problems connected with alcohol or drug use from someone other than family or friends (8
percent statewide).

Eighty-eight percent of River Oaks Baptist School students said they had gotten information
about drugs and alcohol from a school source since classes began in the Fall, compared to 81
percent of students statewide. Sixty-five percent of ROBS students said "an invited school
guest" was a source for information about drugs and alcohol (49 percent statewide), and 57
percent reported getting information about drugs and alcohol from a "health class" (47 percent
statewide), rates higher than those reported by 7th and 8th graders statewide. Sixty percent of
River Oaks Baptist students said that "an assembly program" was a source for this information
(56 percent statewide).

The influence of drug education programs may be reflected in students' attitudes toward the use
of specific substances. Ninety percent of ROBS students believe that crack use is "very
dangerous" (89 percent statewide), and 91 percent believe that powdered cocaine use is "very
dangerous" (89 percent statewide). Eighty-four percent of ROBS students believe that
marijuana use is "very dangerous" (76 percent statewide), and 77 percent believe that inhalant
use is "very dangerous" (75 percent statewide). By contrast, the perceived danger of alcohol
and tobacco use is lower. Only 52 percent of ROBS students feel that it is "very dangerous" to
use alcohol (50 percent statewide), while 45 percent believe that tobacco use is "very
dangerous" (4 percent statewide).