TEXAS SCHOOL SURVEY OF DRUG AND ALCOHOL USE

SANTO 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 grade 10 in the Santo Independent School District (SISD). A total of 27 students completed
the questionnaire, which asked about students' experiences with alcohol and drugs. Since no
students were identified as exaggerators, all 27 surveys were included in analysis.1

Students' responses to the questionnaire indicate that:

• Sixty-two percent of Santo ISD students reported using tobacco at least once during
their lifetimes, and 46 percent said they had used tobacco during the past month.

• Twenty-one percent of Santo ISD students said they smoke cigarettes on a daily
basis, while 13 percent reported using a smokeless tobacco product on a daily
basis.

• Seventy-three percent of Santo ISD students said they had used alcohol at least once
during their lifetimes, and 46 percent reported using alcohol during the past
month.

• Eight percent of Santo ISD 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 8 percent of Santo ISD students, but none
reported past-month inhalant use.

• Nineteen percent of Santo ISD students reported using marijuana at least once during
their lifetimes, and 4 percent said they had used marijuana during the past month.

• Santo ISD students are most likely to turn to friends for help with a drug or alcohol
problem (83 percent) and least likely to consult another adult in school (25
percent) or a medical doctor (25 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 10th grade students statewide has stayed about the same.2 Overall, the general use of
tobacco products among Santo ISD 10th graders, especially with regard to the smokeless variety,
is higher than that reported by their counterparts statewide.

Sixty-two percent of Santo students reported general tobacco use at least once during their
lifetimes (60 percent statewide). Forty-six percent of Santo ISD students said they had used a
tobacco product during the past month, compared to 30 percent of 10th grade students
statewide.

Fifty percent of Santo students reported smoking cigarettes at least once during their lifetimes
(58 percent statewide). Forty-two percent of SISD students said they had smoked cigarettes
during the past month (28 percent statewide), and 21 percent reported smoking cigarettes on a
daily basis (11 percent statewide), rates higher than those reported by their peers statewide.
Sixty-three percent of district students said most or all of their close friends smoke cigarettes.3

Lifetime use of smokeless tobacco products was reported by 42* percent of SISD students (19
percent statewide), while 15 percent said they had used a smokeless tobacco product during the
past month (7 percent statewide), and 13 percent reported using a smokeless tobacco product on
a daily basis (2 percent statewide), rates higher than those reported by 10th grade students
statewide.4 Forty-two 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 Santo ISD.
Alcohol use among 10th grade students statewide was similar to that reported two years ago.
Overall, Santo ISD 10th graders are drinking alcohol at rates somewhat similar to those reported
by their peers statewide.

Seventy-three percent of Santo students reported consuming alcohol at least once during their
lifetimes (79 percent statewide). Forty-six percent of Santo ISD students said they had
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
Because a non-standard grade combination was surveyed in this district, some statewide data are unavailable
for comparisons throughout this summary.

4
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.

2
consumed alcohol during the past month (42 percent statewide).

The alcoholic beverages most often consumed by Santo students are beer (46 percent/63 percent
statewide) and wine coolers (58 percent/65 percent statewide). Thirty-three percent of SISD
students said they drink beer on a weekly or monthly basis (38 percent statewide), and 29 percent
said they drink wine coolers weekly or monthly (35 percent statewide).

"Binge drinking" is the consumption of five or more beers, wine coolers, servings of wine, or
drinks with liquor at one time. Twenty-seven percent of Santo ISD students reported "binge
drinking" beer at least once during their lifetimes (42 percent statewide), while 24 percent said
they usually drink five or more beers at a time on average when they drink (23 percent
statewide). Lifetime "binge drinking" of wine coolers was reported by 55 percent of SISD
students (44 percent statewide), while 40 percent said they usually drink five or more wine
coolers at a time on average when they drink (21 percent statewide), rates somewhat higher than
those reported by 10th grade students statewide.

Twelve percent of Santo students reported attending at least one class during the past school year
while "drunk" (10 percent statewide). Eight percent of SISD students said that they had driven a
car after having "a good bit to drink" at least once during the past year (12 percent statewide).
Driving while intoxicated four or more times during the past year was reported by 8 percent of
district students (3 percent statewide).

Students were asked about the availability of alcohol, its use among friends, and its use at parties.
Eighty-eight percent of Santo ISD students said beer, wine, wine coolers, or liquor were
somewhat easy or very easy to obtain (83 percent statewide). Fifty-four percent of district
students reported most or all of their close friends drink alcohol (51 percent statewide), and 46
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 12
percent of SISD students (10 percent statewide).

Fifty-four percent of Santo students said alcohol was used at most or all of the parties they
attended in the past school year (48 percent statewide). Fifty percent of district students
responded "at parties" when asked where they obtain alcohol most of the time or always, while
27 percent of SISD 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 SISD students who had not been absent since the Fall
reported having used alcohol during the past month (29 percent) than did district students who
said they had missed four or more days of school (50 percent). All* of the Santo 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 who had not
experienced difficulties with school officials because of conduct problems had used alcohol within
the past 30 days.

3
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, 81 percent of Santo students said
their parents strongly or mildly disapprove (77 percent statewide). Nineteen percent of district
students said their parents neither approve nor disapprove of kids their age drinking beer (12
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. Over the last two years,
use of inhalants among 10th grade students statewide has stayed about the same. Overall, Santo
ISD 10th graders are using inhalants at rates somewhat lower than those reported by their
counterparts statewide.

Eight percent of Santo students reported using inhalants at least once during their lifetimes (18
percent statewide), but none reported using an inhalant during the past month (4 percent
statewide).

Eight percent of SISD students reported most or all of their close friends use inhalants (3 percent
statewide), and 4 percent said they had attended at least one class during the past school year
while "high" on inhalants (3 percent statewide). Four percent of SISD students said they had
used two or more different kinds of inhalant substances during their lifetimes (10 percent
statewide).

The only inhalant substances Santo students reported using at least once during their lifetimes
were correction fluid/Liquid Paper (4 percent/9 percent statewide), gasoline (4 percent/6 percent
statewide), and those in the "other inhalants" category (4 percent/7 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 10th grade students statewide has increased. The use of
marijuana, the most frequently used illicit substance, has also increased among 10th graders
statewide over the last two years.

In the Santo ISD, 19 percent of students reported use of illicit drugs at least once during their
lifetimes (39 percent statewide), while 12 percent of SISD students said they had used one or
more illicit substances three or more times (30 percent statewide), rates lower than those
reported by 10th grade students statewide. Statewide, students who said they had used illicit

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.

4
drugs reported using them an average of 2.7 times in the past 30 days and 7.1 times during their
lives. Santo students reported average usage rates of 0.9 times in the past month and 3.3 times
during their lifetimes.

Nineteen percent of SISD students reported using marijuana at least once in their lifetimes, a rate
lower than that reported by their counterparts statewide (36 percent). Past-month marijuana use
was reported by 4 percent of Santo ISD students, compared to 18 percent of 10th grade students
statewide.

Eight percent of SISD students reported attending at least one class in the past year while
"stoned" on marijuana (14 percent statewide). Driving under the influence of drugs at least once
during the past year was reported by 8 percent of Santo ISD students (10 percent statewide).

Forty-three percent of SISD students said marijuana was somewhat or very easy to obtain (63
percent statewide), and 8 percent reported most or all of their close friends use marijuana (25
percent statewide), rates lower than those reported by their peers statewide. Four percent of
district students said they had gotten into "difficulties of any kind" with their friends because of
their own drug use (8 percent statewide). Fifteen percent of the Santo ISD students said that
marijuana and/or other drugs were used at most or all of the parties they attended during the
school year, compared to 29 percent of 10th grade students statewide.

When asked about parental attitudes toward marijuana use, Santo students reported a
disapproval rate of 92 percent (87 percent statewide). Eight percent of district students said their
parents neither approve nor disapprove (5 percent statewide).

Other illicit substances are used by a smaller number of Santo ISD students. Twelve percent of
SISD students said they had used hallucinogens (9 percent statewide), 4 percent reported using
uppers (11 percent statewide), 4 percent reported using downers (7 percent statewide), and 4
percent said they had used powdered cocaine (8 percent statewide) at least once during their
lifetimes. None of the district students reported ever using steroids (2 percent statewide).

DRUG AND ALCOHOL INFORMATION

When asked where they would go for help with a drug or alcohol problem, the largest percentage
of Santo students said they would seek help from their friends (83 percent/78 percent statewide).
Fifty-two percent of SISD students said they would turn to their parents for help with a drug or
alcohol problem (52 percent statewide), and 38 percent said they would seek help from an adult
friend or relative (58 percent statewide). District students are least likely to seek help from
another adult in school, such as a teacher or nurse (25 percent/30 percent statewide), or a
medical doctor (25 percent/36 percent statewide). Since school began in the Fall, 8 percent of
Santo students reported seeking help for any problems connected with alcohol or drug use from
someone other than family or friends (6 percent statewide).

Ninety-six* percent of Santo ISD students said they had gotten information about drugs and

5
alcohol from a school source since classes began in the Fall, in contrast to the 75 percent
reported by 10th grade students statewide. "An assembly program" was reported by 96* percent
of district students as a source for information about drugs and alcohol (40 percent statewide),
while 88* percent reported getting this information from a "health class" (53 percent statewide),
and 76* percent said "an invited school guest" was a source for information about drugs and
alcohol (34 percent statewide), rates higher 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 Santo students believe that crack use is "very
dangerous" (89 percent statewide), and 91 percent believe that powdered cocaine use is "very
dangerous" (87 percent statewide). Eighty-two percent of SISD students believe that inhalant
use is "very dangerous" (77 percent statewide). Seventy-seven percent of Santo ISD students
believe that marijuana use is "very dangerous" (54 percent statewide), and 57 percent feel that it
is "very dangerous" to use alcohol (43 percent statewide), rates higher than those reported by
10th grade students statewide. Twenty-nine percent of district students believe that tobacco use
is "very dangerous" (34 percent statewide).