TEXAS SCHOOL SURVEY OF DRUG AND ALCOHOL USE

KOPPERL 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 grades 9 through 12 in the Kopperl Independent School District (KISD). A total of
39 students completed the questionnaire, which asked about students' experiences with alcohol
and drugs. Since no students were identified as exaggerators, all 39 surveys were included in
analysis.1

Students' responses to the questionnaire indicate that:

•Sixty-seven percent of Kopperl ISD students reported using tobacco at least once
during their lifetimes, and 29 percent said they had used tobacco during the past
month.

•Seventy-five percent of Kopperl ISD students said they had used alcohol at least once
during their lifetimes, and 44 percent reported using alcohol during the past
month.

•Four percent of KISD students reported attending at least one class during the past year
while "drunk," and 10 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 16 percent of district students, while

past-month inhalant use was reported by 3 percent.

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

•Kopperl ISD students are most likely to turn to friends for help with a drug or alcohol
problem (78 percent) and least likely to consult a counselor or program in school
(30 percent).

Tobacco
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 and in the corresponding
figures. Figures referenced throughout this report are included in "Part III: Executive Summary."

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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 Kopperl ISD students is somewhat higher than that reported by their
counterparts statewide.

Sixty-seven percent of Kopperl students reported general tobacco use at least once during their
lifetimes, compared to 60 percent of students statewide.2 Twenty-nine percent of Kopperl ISD
students said they had used a tobacco product during the past month (27 percent statewide).

Alcohol

Alcohol is the most widely used substance among students statewide and in the Kopperl ISD.
Alcohol use among secondary students statewide was similar to that reported two years ago.
Overall, Kopperl ISD students are drinking alcohol at rates somewhat similar to those reported
by their peers statewide.

Seventy-five percent of Kopperl students reported consuming alcohol at least once during their
lifetimes (81 percent statewide). Forty-four percent of Kopperl ISD students said they had
consumed alcohol during the past month (46 percent statewide).

The alcoholic beverages most often consumed by Kopperl students are beer (66 percent/67
percent statewide) and wine coolers (59 percent/68 percent statewide). Forty-four percent of
KISD students said they drink beer on a weekly or monthly basis (43 percent statewide).
Twenty-nine percent of Kopperl ISD students said they drink wine coolers weekly or monthly,
a rate somewhat lower than that reported by students statewide (38 percent).

"Binge drinking" is the consumption of five or more beers, wine coolers, servings of wine, or
drinks with liquor at one time. Thirty-nine percent of Kopperl ISD students reported "binge
drinking" beer at least once during the past year (45 percent statewide), while 27 percent said
they usually drink five or more beers at a time on average when they drink (24 percent
statewide). Past-year "binge drinking" of wine coolers was reported by 34 percent of KISD
students (47 percent statewide), while 24 percent said they usually drink five or more wine
coolers at a time on average when they drink (22 percent statewide).

Four percent of Kopperl students reported attending at least one class during the past school
year while "drunk," a rate somewhat lower than that reported by students statewide (10
percent). Ten percent of KISD students said that they had driven a car after having "a good bit
to drink" at least once during the past year (15 percent statewide).

Students were asked about the availability of alcohol, its use among friends, and its use at
parties. Seventy-five percent of Kopperl ISD students said beer, wine, wine coolers, or liquor

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

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were somewhat easy or very easy to obtain, compared to 84 percent of students statewide.
Forty percent of district students reported most or all of their close friends drink alcohol (48
percent statewide), and 42 percent responded "from friends" when asked where they obtained
alcohol most of the time or always (49 percent statewide), rates somewhat lower than those
reported by students statewide. "Difficulties of any kind" with friends because of one's own
drinking was reported by 1 percent of KISD students (11 percent statewide).

Forty-eight percent of Kopperl students said alcohol was used at most or all of the parties they
attended in the past school year (51 percent statewide). Fifty-three percent of district students
responded "at parties" when asked where they obtain alcohol most of the time or always (53
percent statewide). Nine percent of KISD students said they get alcohol "from the store" most
of the time or always, a rate lower than that reported by their peers statewide (27 percent).

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, 62 percent of Kopperl students
said their parents strongly or mildly disapprove, a rate lower than that reported by students
statewide (74 percent). Six percent of district students said they "don't know" how their parents
feel about kids their age drinking beer (8 percent statewide), and 20 percent said their parents
neither approve nor disapprove (13 percent 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, Kopperl ISD students are using
inhalants at rates similar to those reported by their counterparts statewide.

Sixteen percent of Kopperl students reported using inhalants at least once during their lifetimes
(17 percent statewide). Three percent of Kopperl ISD students said they had used inhalants
during the past month (4 percent statewide).

Two percent of KISD students reported most or all of their close friends use inhalants (2
percent statewide), while none said they had attended at least one class during the past school
year while "high" on inhalants (3 percent statewide). Nine percent of KISD students said they
had used two or more different kinds of inhalant substances during their lifetimes (10 percent
statewide).

The inhalant substances most frequently used by Kopperl students were correction fluid/Liquid
Paper (13 percent/8 percent statewide) and gasoline (11 percent/5 percent statewide). Six
percent of district students said they had inhaled substances in the "other inhalants" category (6

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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percent statewide) and 4 percent said they had inhaled glue (5 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 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.

In the Kopperl ISD, 20 percent of students reported use of illicit drugs at least once during their
lifetimes, compared to 33 percent of students statewide. Seventeen percent of KISD students
said they had used one or more illicit substances three or more times (23 percent statewide).
Statewide, students who said they had used illicit drugs reported using them an average of 1.8
times in the past 30 days and 5.4 times during their lives. Kopperl students reported average
usage rates of 1.2 times in the past month and 2.8 times during their lifetimes.

Twenty percent of KISD students reported using marijuana at least once in their lifetimes, a rate
lower than that reported by their counterparts statewide (31 percent). Past-month marijuana use
was reported by 4 percent of Kopperl ISD students, compared to 14 percent of students
statewide.

Six percent of KISD students reported attending at least one class in the past year while
"stoned" on marijuana (11 percent statewide). Driving under the influence of drugs at least
once during the past year was reported by 1 percent Kopperl ISD students, a rate somewhat
lower than that reported by their peers statewide (8 percent).

Twenty-two percent of KISD students said marijuana was somewhat or very easy to obtain (58
percent statewide), and 3 percent reported most or all of their close friends use marijuana (19
percent statewide), rates lower than those reported by students statewide. Three 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). Four percent of the Kopperl 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 students statewide (22 percent).

When asked about parental attitudes toward marijuana use, Kopperl students reported a
disapproval rate of 93 percent (88 percent statewide). Six percent of district students said they
"don't know" how their parents feel about kids their age using marijuana (6 percent statewide),
while none said their parents neither approve nor disapprove (4 percent statewide).

Other illicit substances are used by small number of Kopperl ISD students. Seven percent of
KISD students reported using uppers (9 percent statewide), 4 percent reported using downers (6
percent statewide), 3 percent reported using ecstasy (3 percent statewide), and 1 percent said

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they had used hallucinogens (8 percent statewide) at least once during their lifetimes. None of
the district students reported ever using powdered cocaine (6 percent statewide), crack (2
percent statewide), or steroids (2 percent statewide).

CHARACTERISTICS ASSOCIATED WITH DRUG USE

In the statewide survey, students living in two-parent homes reported lower drug use than did
students living in other family situations. KISD students living in other family situations were
nearly two times more likely to have used an inhalant and over two times more likely to have
used an upper than were those district students living in homes with two parents, and were the
only reported users of hallucinogens or ecstasy in the district. There were no other significant
differences by living arrangement among Kopperl ISD students with regard to the use of
tobacco or alcohol products, marijuana, or downers.

When asked where they would go for help with a drug or alcohol problem, the largest
percentage of Kopperl students said they would seek help from their friends (78 percent/77
percent statewide). Sixty-seven percent of KISD students said they would seek help from their
parents (51 percent statewide), and 57 percent said they would turn to an adult friend or relative
(58 percent statewide). District students are least likely to seek help from a counselor or
program in school (30 percent /31 percent statewide), or another adult in school, such as a
teacher or nurse (32 percent/31 percent statewide). Since school began in the Fall, 4 percent of
Kopperl students reported seeking help for any problems connected with alcohol or drug use
from someone other than family or friends (6 percent statewide).

Seventy-three percent of Kopperl ISD students said they had gotten information about drugs
and alcohol from a school source since classes began in the Fall (78 percent statewide). Fifty-
seven percent of KISD students reported getting information about drugs and alcohol from a
"health class," compared to 45 percent of students statewide. "An assembly program" was
reported by 36 percent of district students as a source for information about drugs and alcohol
(52 percent statewide), while 34 percent said "an invited school guest" was a source for this
information (44 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. One hundred percent of Kopperl students believe that crack use is "very
dangerous" (92 percent statewide), and 100 percent believe that powdered cocaine use is "very
dangerous" (90 percent statewide). Eighty-nine percent of KISD students believe that
marijuana use is "very dangerous" (62 percent statewide), and 79 percent believe that inhalant
use is "very dangerous" (78 percent statewide), rates higher than those reported by students
statewide. By contrast, the perceived danger of alcohol and tobacco use is lower. Only 46
percent of KISD students feel that it is "very dangerous" to use alcohol (44 percent statewide),
while 36 percent believe that tobacco use is "very dangerous" (36 percent statewide).