TEXAS SCHOOL SURVEY OF DRUG AND ALCOHOL USE

TOLAR ISD

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 grade 9 in the Tolar Independent School District (TISD). A total of 23 students
completed the questionnaire, which asked about students' experiences with alcohol and drugs.
Of that number, 1 survey was excluded from analysis because the student did not indicate grade
or age, or because the student was identified as an exaggerator (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 22.1

Students' responses to the questionnaire indicate that:

•Seventy-three percent of Tolar ISD students reported using tobacco at least once during
their lifetimes, and 32 percent said they had used tobacco during the past month.

•Five percent of TISD students said they smoke cigarettes on a daily basis, while 11
percent reported using a smokeless tobacco product on a daily basis.

•Seventy-seven percent of Tolar ISD students said they had used alcohol at least once
during their lifetimes, and 27 percent reported using alcohol during the past
month.

•Five percent of TISD students reported attending at least one class during the past year
while "drunk," and 5 percent of district students said they had driven a car at
least once during the past year after having "a good bit to drink."

•Lifetime use of inhalants was reported by 18 percent of district students, while none of
the students reported past-month inhalant use.

•Nine percent of TISD students reported using marijuana at least once during their
lifetimes, and none of the district students 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: 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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•Tolar ISD students are most likely to turn to friends for help with a drug or alcohol
problem (82 percent) and least likely to consult another adult in school, such as a
teacher or nurse (23 percent).

Tobacco

Over the last two years, the general use of tobacco (including cigarettes and smokeless
products) among students statewide has stayed much the same. Overall, the general use of
tobacco products among Tolar ISD 9th grade students is higher than that reported by their
counterparts statewide.

Seventy-three percent of Tolar students reported general tobacco use at least once during their
lifetimes, compared to 57 percent of 9th graders statewide. Thirty-three percent of Tolar ISD
students said they had used a tobacco product during the past month, a rate somewhat higher
than that reported by their peers statewide (26 percent).

Sixty-two percent of Tolar students reported smoking cigarettes at least once during their
lifetimes (55 percent statewide), and 24 percent said they had smoked cigarettes during the past
month (24 percent statewide). Smoking cigarettes on a daily basis was reported by 5 percent of
district students (7 percent statewide), while 5 percent said most or all of their close friends
smoke cigarettes.2

Lifetime use of smokeless tobacco products was reported by 43 percent of TISD students (16
percent statewide), while 24 percent said they had used a smokeless tobacco product during the
past month (6 percent statewide), rates higher than those reported by 9th graders statewide.
Using a smokeless tobacco product on a daily basis was reported by 11 percent of district
students, compared to 1 percent of students statewide. Forty-seven percent of Tolar students
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 Tolar ISD.
Alcohol use among secondary students statewide was similar to that reported two years ago.
Overall, Tolar ISD 9th grade students are drinking alcohol at rates somewhat similar to those
reported by their peers statewide.

Seventy-seven percent of Tolar students reported consuming alcohol at least once during their
lifetimes (76 percent statewide). Twenty-seven percent of Tolar ISD students said they had
consumed alcohol during the past month, a rate lower than that reported by 9th graders
statewide (41 percent).

2
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 Tolar students are beer (65 percent/62 percent
statewide) and wine coolers (63 percent/61 percent statewide). Thirty-five percent of TISD
students said they drink beer on a weekly or monthly basis (40 percent statewide), and 32
percent said they drink wine coolers weekly or monthly (36 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 40
percent of TISD students (43 percent statewide), while 30 percent said they usually drink five
or more wine coolers at a time on average when they drink (21 percent statewide). Thirty-five
percent of Tolar ISD students reported "binge drinking" beer at least once during the past year
(41 percent statewide), while 25 percent said they usually drink five or more beers at a time on
average when they drink (21 percent statewide).

Five percent of Tolar students reported attending at least one class during the past school year
while "drunk" (10 percent statewide). Five percent of TISD students said that they had driven a
car after having "a good bit to drink" at least once during the past year (9 percent statewide).

Students were asked about the availability of alcohol, its use among friends, and its use at
parties. Eighty-two percent of Tolar ISD students said beer, wine, wine coolers, or liquor were
somewhat easy or very easy to obtain (77 percent statewide). Nineteen percent of district
students reported most or all of their close friends drink alcohol, a rate lower than that reported
by 9th graders statewide (40 percent). Twenty-six percent of TISD students responded "from
friends" when asked where they obtained alcohol most of the time or always. None of the Tolar
ISD students reported having "difficulties of any kind" with friends because of their own
drinking, compared to 9 percent of students statewide.

Thirty-two percent of Tolar students said alcohol was used at most or all of the parties they
attended in the past school year, a rate somewhat lower than that reported by 9th graders
statewide (39 percent). Thirty-two percent of district students responded "at parties" when
asked where they obtained alcohol most of the time or always, while 16 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 gotten into 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 (less than 1 percent) than did district
students who said they had missed four or more days of school (27 percent). Forty-three
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, only 18 percent of
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, 59 percent of Tolar students

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said their parents strongly or mildly disapprove, a rate lower than that reported by 9th graders
statewide (75 percent). Nine percent of district students said they "don't know" how their
parents feel about kids their age drinking beer (10 percent statewide). Thirty-two percent of
TISD students said their parents neither approve nor disapprove of kids their age drinking beer,
compared to 11 percent of their counterparts statewide.

Inhalants3

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 students statewide decreased. Overall, Tolar ISD 9th grade students are
using inhalants at rates similar to those reported by their counterparts statewide.

Eighteen percent of Tolar students reported using inhalants at least once during their lifetimes
(19 percent statewide). None of Tolar ISD students said they had used inhalants during the past
month (5 percent statewide).

None of TISD students said most or all of their close friends use inhalants (3 percent statewide),
but 5 percent said they had attended at least one class during the past school year while "high"
on inhalants (4 percent statewide). Fourteen percent of TISD students said they had used two or
more different kinds of inhalant substances during their lifetimes (12 percent statewide).

The inhalant substances most frequently used by Tolar students were correction fluid/Liquid
Paper (9 percent/10 percent statewide), liquid/spray paint (9 percent/7 percent statewide), and
paint thinner (9 percent/6 percent statewide). Five percent of TISD students reported inhaling
substances in the "other sprays" category (4 percent statewide) and 5 percent reported inhaling
substances in the "other inhalants" category (8 percent statewide) at least once during their
lifetimes. None of district students said they had ever inhaled glue (6 percent statewide) or
gasoline (5 percent statewide).

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 students statewide has increased. The use of
marijuana, the most frequently used illicit substance, has also increased among students
statewide over the last two years.

3
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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In the Tolar ISD, 18 percent of students reported use of illicit drugs at least once during their
lifetimes, a rate lower than that reported by their peers statewide (30 percent). Fourteen percent
of TISD students said they had used one or more illicit substances three or more times,
compared to 21 percent of students statewide. Statewide, students who said they had used illicit
drugs reported using them an average of 1.7 times in the past 30 days and 4.6 times during their
lives. Tolar students reported average usage rates of 1.4 times in the past month and 2.8 times
during their lifetimes.

Nine percent of TISD students reported using marijuana at least once in their lifetimes, a rate
lower than that reported by 9th graders statewide (28 percent). None of the district students
reported past-month marijuana use, compared to 14 percent of their counterparts statewide.

None of TISD students reported attending at least one class in the past year while "stoned" on
marijuana (12 percent statewide), and none of the district students reported driving under the
influence of drugs at least once during the past year (6 percent statewide).

Forty-three percent of TISD students said marijuana was somewhat or very easy to obtain (52
percent statewide), and none reported most or all of their close friends use marijuana (21
percent statewide). Five percent of district students said they had gotten into "difficulties of any
kind" with their friends because of their own drug use (5 percent statewide). Five percent of the
Tolar ISD students said that marijuana and/or other drugs were used at most or all of the parties
they attended during the school year, a rate lower than that reported by 9th graders statewide
(19 percent).

When asked about parental attitudes toward marijuana use, Tolar students reported a
disapproval rate of 86 percent (86 percent statewide). Nine percent of district students said they
"don't know" how their parents feel about kids their age using marijuana (8 percent statewide),
while 5 percent said their parents neither approve nor disapprove (4 percent statewide).

Other illicit substances are used by a small number of Tolar ISD students. Nine percent of
TISD students reported using uppers (9 percent statewide), 5 percent reported using downers (5
percent statewide), 5 percent said they had used powdered cocaine (6 percent statewide), and 5
percent reported using crack (2 percent statewide) at least once during their lifetimes. None of
the district students said they had ever used hallucinogens (6 percent statewide), steroids (2
percent statewide), or ecstasy (2 percent statewide).
CHARACTERISTICS ASSOCIATED WITH DRUG USE

Statewide, female students were less likely to have used drugs than were male students. In the
Tolar ISD, male students were the only reported users of marijuana, powdered cocaine, or
crack. On the other hand, district female students were the only reported users of uppers or
downers. There were no other significant differences by gender among TISD students with
regard to the use of tobacco or alcohol products or inhalants.

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When asked where they would go for help with a drug or alcohol problem, the largest
percentage of Tolar students said they would seek help from their friends (82 percent), a rate
somewhat higher than that reported by 9th graders statewide (74 percent). Fifty-five percent of
TISD students said they would seek help from an adult friend or relative (58 percent statewide),
and 55 percent said they would turn to their parents (51 percent statewide). District students are
least likely to seek help from another adult in school, such as a teacher or nurse (23 percent/33
percent statewide). Since school began in the Fall, 5 percent of Tolar students reported seeking
help for any problems connected with alcohol or drug use from someone other than family or
friends (7 percent statewide).

Ninety-five percent of Tolar ISD students said they had gotten information about drugs and
alcohol from a school source since classes began in the Fall, compared to 80 percent of 9th
graders statewide. Ninety-five percent of TISD students reported getting information about
drugs and alcohol from a "health class," a rate higher than that reported by their peers statewide
(45 percent). "An assembly program" was reported by 52 percent of district students as a
source for this information (53 percent statewide). Twenty-four percent of TISD students said
"an invited school guest" was a source for information about drugs and alcohol, a rate lower
than that reported by 9th grade students statewide (45 percent).

The influence of drug education programs may be reflected in students' attitudes toward the use
of specific substances. Ninety-two percent of Tolar students believe that crack use is "very
dangerous" (90 percent statewide), and 94 percent believe that powdered cocaine use is "very
dangerous" (88 percent statewide). Seventy-seven percent of TISD students believe that
inhalant use is "very dangerous" (76 percent statewide), and 71 percent believe that marijuana
use is "very dangerous" (63 percent statewide). By contrast, the perceived danger of alcohol
and tobacco use is lower. Only 44 percent of TISD students feel that it is "very dangerous" to
use alcohol (42 percent statewide). Twenty percent of Tolar ISD students believe that tobacco
use is "very dangerous," a rate lower than that reported by their 9th grade counterparts statewide
(38 percent).