TEXAS SCHOOL SURVEY OF DRUG AND ALCOHOL USE

RICE ISD

SECONDARY EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

OVERVIEW

In the Spring of 1996, 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 Rice Independent School District (RISD). A total of 68 students
completed the questionnaire, which asked about students' experiences with alcohol and drugs.
Of that number, 2 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 66.1

Students' responses to the questionnaire indicate that:

•Sixty-two percent of Rice ISD students reported using tobacco at least once during their
lifetimes, and 35 percent said they had used tobacco during the past month.

•Six percent of Rice ISD students said they smoke cigarettes on a daily basis, while 2
percent reported using a smokeless tobacco product on a daily basis.

•Sixty-five percent of Rice ISD students said they had used alcohol at least once during
their lifetimes, and 35 percent reported using alcohol during the past month.

•Six percent of Rice ISD students reported attending at least one class during the past
year while drunk."

•Lifetime use of inhalants was reported by 20 percent of Rice ISD students, while
past-month inhalant use was reported by 8 percent.

•Nineteen percent of Rice ISD students reported using marijuana at least once during
their lifetimes, and 9 percent said they had used marijuana during the past month.

•Rice ISD students are most likely to turn to friends for help with a drug or alcohol
problem (64 percent) and least likely to consult a medical doctor (28 percent).

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.

1
Tobacco

Over the last two years, the general use of tobacco (including cigarettes and smokeless products)
among secondary students statewide has declined slightly.2 Overall, the general use of tobacco
products among Rice ISD 7th and 8th graders is higher than that reported by their counterparts
statewide.

Sixty-two percent of Rice students reported general tobacco use at least once during their
lifetimes, compared to 47 percent of 7th and 8th grade students statewide.3 Thirty-five percent
of Rice ISD students said they had used a tobacco product during the past month, a rate higher
than that reported by their peers statewide (20 percent).

Sixty percent of Rice students reported smoking cigarettes at least once during their lifetimes (45
percent statewide), while 32 percent said they had smoked cigarettes during the past month (19
percent statewide), rates higher than those reported by 7th and 8th graders statewide. Six
percent of district students reported smoking cigarettes on a daily basis (4 percent statewide),
and 22 percent said most or all of their close friends smoke cigarettes.4

Lifetime use of smokeless tobacco products was reported by 23 percent of RISD students (12
percent statewide), while 12 percent said they had used a smokeless tobacco product during the
past month (4 percent statewide), and 2 reported using a smokeless tobacco product on a daily
basis (1 percent statewide), rates somewhat higher than those reported by their counterparts
statewide. Ten percent of district 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 Rice ISD. Over
the last two years, alcohol use among secondary students statewide has decreased somewhat.
Overall, Rice ISD 7th and 8th graders are drinking alcohol at rates somewhat similar to those
reported by their peers statewide.

Sixty-five percent of Rice students reported consuming alcohol at least once during their lifetimes
(63 percent statewide). Thirty-five percent of Rice ISD students said they had consumed alcohol
during the past month (28 percent 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 the Spring of 1996.

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.

2
The alcoholic beverages most often consumed by Rice students are beer (42 percent/43 percent
statewide) and wine coolers (42 percent/45 percent statewide). Seventeen percent of RISD
students said they drink beer on a weekly or monthly basis (24 percent statewide), and 22 percent
said they drink wine coolers weekly or monthly (31 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 percent of Rice ISD students reported "binge drinking"
beer at least once during their lifetimes (27 percent statewide), while 8 percent said they usually
drink five or more beers at a time on average when they drink (11 percent statewide). Lifetime
"binge drinking" of wine coolers was reported by 31 percent of RISD students (30 percent
statewide), while 14 percent said they usually drink five or more wine coolers at a time on
average when they drink (14 percent statewide).

Students were asked about the availability of alcohol, its use at school, its use among friends, and
its use at parties. Fifty-six percent of Rice ISD students said beer, wine, wine coolers, or liquor
were somewhat easy or very easy to obtain (62 percent statewide). Six percent of Rice students
reported attending at least one class during the past school year while "drunk" (8 percent
statewide).

Twenty-eight percent of district students reported most or all of their close friends drink alcohol
(22 percent statewide), and 31 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 RISD students (5 percent statewide).

Ten* percent of Rice students said alcohol was used at most or all of the parties they attended in
the past school year, in contrast to the 17 percent reported by 7th and 8th grade students
statewide.5 Twenty-four percent of district students responded "at parties" when asked where
they obtain alcohol most of the time or always, while 8 percent of RISD 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 RISD students who had not been absent since the Fall
reported having used alcohol during the past month (25 percent) than did district students who
said they had missed four or more days of school (44 percent). Sixty-four percent of the Rice
students who had experienced difficulties with school officials on four or more days reported
using alcohol during the past 30 days. By contrast, only 14 percent of district students who had
not experienced difficulties with school officials because of conduct problems had used alcohol
within the past 30 days.
5
Data in this report marked with an asterisk are estimated to be statistically significant at the .01 level from
the comparable data for the state as a whole. This means that in only one of a hundred samples would a
difference this large have occurred when there was no difference between the district and state data. Differences
in very small districts will seldom be statistically significant due to the small number of cases. Differences that
are not marked may be important, but should be treated with more caution than those that are statistically
significant.

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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, 77 percent of Rice students said
their parents strongly or mildly disapprove (78 percent statewide). Fifteen percent of district
students said they "don't know" how their parents feel about kids their age drinking beer (13
percent statewide), and 5 percent said their parents neither approve nor disapprove (6 percent
statewide).

Inhalants6

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 secondary students statewide stayed about the same. Overall, Rice ISD
7th and 8th graders are using inhalants at rates somewhat similar to those reported by their
counterparts statewide.

Twenty percent of Rice students reported using inhalants at least once during their lifetimes (23
percent statewide). Eight percent of Rice ISD students said they had used inhalants during the
past month (8 percent statewide).

Three percent of RISD students reported most or all of their close friends use inhalants (4
percent statewide), and 8 percent said they had attended at least one class during the past school
year while "high" on inhalants (5 percent statewide). Eighteen percent of RISD students said
they had used two or more different kinds of inhalant substances during their lifetimes (14
percent statewide).

The inhalant substances most frequently used by Rice students were correction fluid/Liquid Paper
(14 percent/12 percent statewide), substances in the "other inhalants" category (13 percent/10
percent statewide), and liquid/spray paint (11 percent/8 percent statewide). Seven percent of
district students reported inhaling gasoline (6 percent statewide), 7 percent reported inhaling
substances in the "other sprays" category (5 percent statewide), 6 percent said they had inhaled
glue (7 percent statewide), and 6 percent said they had inhaled paint thinner (6 percent statewide)
at least once during their lifetimes.

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 secondary students statewide has increased. The use of

6
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.

4
marijuana, the most frequently used illicit substance, has also increased among secondary
students statewide over the last two years.

In the Rice ISD, 27 percent of students reported use of illicit drugs at least once during their
lifetimes (24 percent statewide), while 18 percent of RISD students said they had used one or
more illicit substances three or more times (16 percent statewide). Statewide, students who said
they had used illicit drugs reported using them an average of 1.5 times in the past 30 days and 3.5
times during their lives. Rice students reported average usage rates of 1.1 times in the past
month and 3.1 times during their lifetimes.

Nineteen percent of RISD students reported using marijuana at least once in their lifetimes, a rate
similar to that reported by their counterparts statewide (21 percent). Past-month marijuana use
was reported by 9 percent of Rice ISD students (11 percent statewide).

Twenty-nine percent of RISD students said marijuana was somewhat or very easy to obtain (34
percent statewide), and 8 percent reported attending at least one class in the past year while
"stoned" on marijuana (10 percent statewide). Ten percent of Rice ISD students reported most
or all of their close friends use marijuana (16 percent statewide), and 5 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). Ten percent of the Rice ISD students said that marijuana and/or
other drugs were used at most or all of the parties they attended during the school year (12
percent statewide).

When asked about parental attitudes toward marijuana use, Rice students reported a disapproval
rate of 80 percent (83 percent statewide). Twelve percent of district students said they "don't
know" how their parents feel about kids their age using marijuana (11 percent statewide), while 3
percent said their parents neither approve nor disapprove (3 percent statewide).

Other illicit substances are used by a smaller number of Rice ISD students. Uppers are the next
most frequently used illegal drug among district students (14 percent/4 percent statewide). Eight
percent of RISD students said they had used hallucinogens (4 percent statewide), 8 percent
reported using downers (3 percent statewide), 6 percent reported using ecstasy (3 percent
statewide), 5 percent said they had used powdered cocaine (4 percent statewide), 3 percent
reported using crack (2 percent statewide), and 2 percent said they had used steroids (2 percent
statewide) at least once during their lifetimes.

CHARACTERISTICS ASSOCIATED WITH DRUG USE

Statewide, female students were somewhat less likely to have used drugs than were male
students. In the Rice ISD, male students were over two times more likely to have used
powdered cocaine or hallucinogens than were district female students. In addition, RISD male
students were the only reported users of crack in the district. On the other hand, Rice ISD
female students were somewhat more likely to have used inhalants and over two times more
likely to have used uppers, downers, or ecstasy than were their male counterparts in the district.

5
In addition, RISD female students were the only reported users of steroids in the district. There
were no other significant differences by gender among Rice ISD students with regard to the use
of tobacco products, alcohol, or marijuana.

When asked where they would go for help with a drug or alcohol problem, the largest percentage
of Rice students said they would seek help from their friends (64 percent/69 percent statewide).
Fifty-three percent of RISD students said they would seek help from an adult friend or relative
(58 percent statewide), and 49 percent said they would turn to their parents (59 percent
statewide). District students are least likely to seek help from a medical doctor (28 percent/42
percent statewide). Since school began in the Fall, 9 percent of Rice students reported seeking
help for any problems connected with alcohol or drug use from someone other than family or
friends (8 percent statewide).

Eighty-one percent of Rice ISD students said they had gotten information about drugs and
alcohol from a school source since classes began in the Fall (79 percent statewide). Fifty-three
percent of district students said "an invited school guest" was a source for information about
drugs and alcohol (46 percent statewide), while 50 percent said "an assembly program" was a
source for this information (51 percent statewide). Thirty-one percent of RISD students
reported getting information about drugs and alcohol from a "health class," a rate lower than that
reported by their counterparts statewide (45 percent).

The influence of drug education programs may be reflected in students' attitudes toward the use
of specific substances. Eighty-nine percent of Rice students believe that crack use is "very
dangerous" (86 percent statewide), and 89 percent believe that powdered cocaine use is "very
dangerous" (86 percent statewide). Eighty-three percent of RISD students believe that inhalant
use is "very dangerous" (74 percent statewide), and 75 percent believe that marijuana use is "very
dangerous" (70 percent statewide). By contrast, the perceived danger of alcohol and tobacco use
is lower. Fifty-five percent of RISD students feel that it is "very dangerous" to use alcohol (48
percent statewide). Thirty-five percent of Rice ISD students believe that tobacco use is "very
dangerous," in contrast to the 48 percent reported by 7th and 8th grade students statewide.