TEXAS SCHOOL SURVEY OF DRUG AND ALCOHOL USE

MOUNT ENTERPRISE ISD

SECONDARY EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

OVERVIEW

In the Spring of 1995, 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 Mount Enterprise Independent School District (MEISD). A
total of 60 students completed the questionnaire, which asked about students' experiences with
alcohol and drugs. Of that number, 7 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 district analysis was 53.1

Students' responses to the questionnaire indicate that:

•Fifty percent of Mount Enterprise ISD students reported using tobacco at least once
during their lifetimes, and 21 percent said they had used tobacco during the past
month.

•Ten percent of Mount Enterprise ISD students said they smoke cigarettes on a daily
basis, while 4 percent reported using a smokeless tobacco product on a daily
basis.

•Sixty-five percent of Mount Enterprise ISD students said they had used alcohol at least
once during their lifetimes, and 31 percent reported using alcohol during the past
month.

•Ten percent of Mount Enterprise ISD students reported attending at least one class
during the past year while "drunk."

•Lifetime use of inhalants was reported by 33 percent of Mount Enterprise ISD students,
while past-month inhalant use was reported by 12 percent.

•Fifteen percent of Mount Enterprise ISD students reported using marijuana at least
once during their lifetimes, and 12 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: 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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•Mount Enterprise ISD students are most likely to turn to friends for help with a drug or
alcohol problem (73 percent) and least likely to consult another adult in school,
such as a teacher or nurse (30 percent).

Tobacco

Between 1992 and 1994, the general use of tobacco (including cigarettes and smokeless
products) among students statewide stayed much the same. 2 Overall, the general use of tobacco
products among Mount Enterprise ISD 7th and 8th grade students is somewhat similar to that
reported by their 7th and 8th grade counterparts statewide.

Fifty percent of Mount Enterprise students reported general tobacco use at least once during
their lifetimes (46 percent statewide).3 Twenty-one percent of Mount Enterprise ISD students
said they had used a tobacco product during the past month (20 percent statewide).

Forty-two percent of Mount Enterprise students reported smoking cigarettes at least once during
their lifetimes (44 percent statewide), and 19 percent said they had smoked cigarettes during the
past month (18 percent statewide). Smoking cigarettes on a daily basis was reported by 10
percent of district students (4 percent statewide), while 20 percent said most or all of their close
friends smoke cigarettes.4

Lifetime use of smokeless tobacco products was reported by 27 percent of MEISD students, a
rate higher than that reported by their counterparts statewide (13 percent). Eight percent of
district students said they had used a smokeless tobacco product during the past month (4
percent statewide). Using a smokeless tobacco product on a daily basis was reported by 4
percent of district students (1 percent statewide), and 8 percent 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 Mount
Enterprise ISD. Alcohol use among secondary students in 1994 was similar to that reported in
1992. Overall, Mount Enterprise ISD 7th and 8th grade students are drinking alcohol at rates
somewhat similar to those reported by their 7th and 8th grade peers statewide.

2 Statewide data is collected every other year. The statewide data used for comparison purposes in the district
report and executive summary is taken from the results of the survey administered in 1994.

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

4 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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Sixty-five percent of Mount Enterprise students reported consuming alcohol at least once during
their lifetimes (63 percent statewide). Thirty-one percent of Mount Enterprise ISD students
said they had consumed alcohol during the past month (29 percent statewide).

The alcoholic beverages most often consumed by Mount Enterprise students are wine coolers
(51 percent/47 percent statewide) and beer (48 percent/47 percent statewide). Thirty-six
percent of MEISD students said they drink wine coolers weekly or monthly (26 percent
statewide), and 35 percent said they drink beer on a weekly or monthly basis (27 percent
statewide).

"Binge drinking" is the consumption of five or more beers, wine coolers, servings of wine, or
drinks with liquor at one time. Thirty-eight percent of Mount Enterprise ISD students reported
"binge drinking" beer at least once during the past year (29 percent statewide), while 20 percent
said they usually drink five or more beers at a time on average when they drink (14 percent
statewide), rates somewhat higher than those reported by their peers statewide. Past-year
"binge drinking" of wine coolers was reported by 33 percent of MEISD students (30 percent
statewide). Twenty-two percent of district students said they usually drink five or more wine
coolers at a time on average when they drink, a rate somewhat higher than that reported by their
counterparts statewide (15 percent).

Students were asked about the availability of alcohol, its use at school, its use among friends,
and its use at parties. Sixty-four percent of Mount Enterprise ISD students said beer, wine,
wine coolers, or liquor were somewhat easy or very easy to obtain (64 percent statewide). Ten
percent of Mount Enterprise students reported attending at least one class during the past school
year while "drunk" (9 percent statewide).

Twenty percent of district students reported most or all of their close friends drink alcohol (24
percent statewide), and 36 percent responded "from friends" when asked where they obtained
alcohol most of the time or always. "Difficulties of any kind" with friends because of one's own
drinking was reported by 8 percent of MEISD students (7 percent statewide).

Twenty-seven percent of Mount Enterprise students said alcohol was used at most or all of the
parties they attended in the past school year, a rate somewhat higher than that reported by 7th
and 8th grade students statewide (19 percent). Thirty-one percent of district students responded
"at parties" when asked where they obtain alcohol most of the time or always, while 2 percent
of MEISD 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 been in trouble because of
conduct or attitude problems. Fewer MEISD students who had not been absent since the Fall
reported having used alcohol during the past month (33 percent) than did district students who
said they had missed four or more days of school (39 percent). Sixty-seven 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 19 percent of district students

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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, 79 percent of Mount Enterprise
students said their parents strongly or mildly disapprove (77 percent statewide). Thirteen
percent of district students said they "don't know" how their parents feel about kids their age
drinking beer (13 percent statewide), and 4 percent said their parents neither approve nor
disapprove (7 percent statewide).

Inhalants5

In general, inhalants are common, licit substances (paints, thinners, correction fluid, glue, etc.)
which, when sniffed, huffed, or inhaled, produce an intoxicating effect. Between 1992 and
1994, use of inhalants among students statewide decreased. Overall, Mount Enterprise ISD 7th
and 8th grade students are using inhalants at rates somewhat higher than those reported by their
7th and 8th grade counterparts statewide.

Thirty-three percent of Mount Enterprise students reported using inhalants at least once during
their lifetimes, compared to 22 percent of 7th and 8th grade students statewide. Twelve percent
of Mount Enterprise ISD students said they had used inhalants during the past month (7 percent
statewide).

Four percent of MEISD students reported most or all of their close friends use inhalants (4
percent statewide), and 7 percent said they had attended at least one class during the past school
year while "high" on inhalants (6 percent statewide). Twenty-one percent of MEISD students
said they had used two or more different kinds of inhalant substances during their lifetimes, a
rate somewhat higher than that reported by their peers statewide (14 percent).

The inhalant substance most frequently used by Mount Enterprise students was correction
fluid/Liquid Paper (26 percent), a rate higher than that reported by 7th and 8th grade students
statewide (12 percent). Seventeen percent of district students reported inhaling gasoline (7
percent statewide), 16 percent said they had inhaled glue (7 percent statewide), 16 percent said
they had inhaled liquid/spray paint (8 percent statewide), 15 percent reported inhaling
substances in the "other inhalants" category (10 percent statewide), and 10 percent said they had
inhaled paint thinner (7 percent statewide) at least once during their lifetimes.

Fewer Mount Enterprise ISD students who had not been absent since the Fall reported having
used inhalants during the past month (11 percent) than did district students who said they had
missed four or more days of school (18 percent). Three percent of district students who had not
been in trouble with school officials reported using inhalants within the past 30 days. By
5 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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contrast, 42 percent of district students who had been in trouble with school officials on four or
more days reported using inhalants during the past 30 days.

Illicit Drugs

Illicit drugs are defined as controlled substances and include marijuana, cocaine (powdered
form and crack), uppers (stimulants), downers (narcotics), hallucinogens, and ecstasy. Between
1992 and 1994, the use of illicit drugs among students statewide increased. The use of
marijuana, the most frequently used illicit substance, also increased among students statewide
over that two-year period.

In the Mount Enterprise ISD, 19 percent of students reported use of illicit drugs at least once
during their lifetimes (19 percent statewide), while 13 percent of MEISD students said they had
used one or more illicit substances three or more times (12 percent statewide), rates similar to
those reported by 7th and 8th grade students statewide. Statewide, students who said they had
used illicit drugs reported using them an average of 0.9 times in the past 30 days and 2.2 times
during their lives. Mount Enterprise students reported average usage rates of 1.1 times in the
past month and 2.7 times during their lifetimes.

Fifteen percent of MEISD students reported using marijuana at least once in their lifetimes, a
rate somewhat lower than that reported by their counterparts statewide (21 percent).
Past-month marijuana use was reported by 12 percent of Mount Enterprise ISD students (8
percent statewide).

Six percent of MEISD students reported attending at least one class in the past year while
"stoned" on marijuana (7 percent statewide). Twenty-nine percent of MEISD students said
marijuana was somewhat or very easy to obtain, a rate somewhat higher than that reported by
their peers statewide (21 percent).

Nine percent of district students reported most or all of their close friends use marijuana (12
percent statewide). Four 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). Eight percent
of the Mount Enterprise ISD 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).

None of the Mount Enterprise ISD students who had not been absent since the Fall reported
having used marijuana during the past month, while 18 percent who said they had missed four
or more days of school reported smoking marijuana during the past month. Three percent of
district students who had not been in trouble with school officials reported using marijuana
within the past 30 days. By contrast, 42 percent of district students who had been in trouble
with school officials on four or more days reported using marijuana during the past 30 days.

When asked about parental attitudes toward marijuana use, Mount Enterprise students reported
a disapproval rate of 88 percent (84 percent statewide). Eight percent of district students said

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they "don't know" how their parents feel about kids their age using marijuana (11 percent
statewide), while 4 percent said their parents neither approve nor disapprove (3 percent
statewide).

Other illicit substances are used by a small number of Mount Enterprise ISD students. Six
percent of MEISD students reported using downers (3 percent statewide), 6 percent said they
had used powdered cocaine (3 percent statewide), 4 percent reported using uppers (4 percent
statewide), 4 percent said they had used hallucinogens (3 percent statewide), 4 percent said they
had used steroids (2 percent statewide), 2 percent reported using crack (2 percent statewide),
and 2 percent reported using ecstasy (1 percent statewide) at least once during their lifetimes.

CHARACTERISTICS ASSOCIATED WITH DRUG USE

Statewide, female students were less likely to have used drugs than were male students. In the
Mount Enterprise ISD, male students were somewhat more likely to have used a tobacco
product or an inhalant and nearly three times more likely to have smoked marijuana than were
district female students. In addition, MEISD male students were the only reported users of
powdered cocaine, crack, or steroids in the district. On the other hand, Mount Enterprise
female students were the only reported users of ecstasy in the district. There were no other
significant differences by gender among MEISD students with regard to the use of alcohol,
hallucinogens, uppers, or downers.

When asked where they would go for help with a drug or alcohol problem, the largest
percentage of Mount Enterprise students said they would seek help from their friends (73
percent/68 percent statewide). Seventy percent of district students said they would turn to their
parents for help with a drug or alcohol problem, a rate higher than that reported by their peers
statewide (58 percent). Fifty-seven percent of MEISD students said they would seek help from
an adult friend or relative (56 percent statewide). District students are least likely to seek help
from another adult in school, such as a teacher or nurse (30 percent/37 percent statewide), or a
medical doctor (33 percent/41 percent statewide). Since school began in the Fall, 14 percent of
Mount Enterprise students reported seeking help for any problems connected with alcohol or
drug use from someone other than family or friends (8 percent statewide).

Seventy-six percent of Mount Enterprise ISD students said they had obtained information about
drugs and alcohol from a school source since classes began in the Fall (81 percent statewide).
Sixty-one percent of MEISD students reported getting information about drugs and alcohol
from a "health class," a rate higher than that reported by their counterparts statewide (47
percent). "An assembly program" was reported by 38 percent of district students as a source for
information about drugs and alcohol (56 percent statewide), while 32 percent said "an invited
school guest" was a source for this information (49 percent statewide), rates lower than those
reported by their peers statewide.

The influence of drug education programs may be reflected in students' attitudes toward the use
of specific substances. Ninety-two percent of Mount Enterprise students believe that crack use

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is "very dangerous" (89 percent statewide), and 92 percent believe that powdered cocaine use is
"very dangerous" (89 percent statewide). Seventy-nine percent of district students believe that
marijuana use is "very dangerous" (76 percent statewide). Sixty-four percent of MEISD
students believe that inhalant use is "very dangerous," a rate lower than that reported by their
peers statewide (75 percent). By contrast, the perceived danger of alcohol and tobacco use is
lower. Only 50 percent of MEISD students feel that it is "very dangerous" to use alcohol (50
percent statewide). Thirty-eight percent of district students believe that tobacco use is "very
dangerous," a rate lower than that reported by their counterparts statewide (49 percent).