Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!americast-post Newsgroups: americast.twt.news From: americast-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: americast-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: Almost a tenth of PG boys, grades 5-8, helped sell drugs Date: Tue, 3 Nov 92 15:19:55 EST Message-ID: \SE A \HD Almost a tenth of PG boys, grades 5-8, helped sell drugs \SH Study also finds inhalants popular \BY Laura M. Litvan \CR THE WASHINGTON TIMES About one in 10 boys in grades five through eight in Prince George's County admit they helped sell drugs during the last school year, according to a school system study about student interest in illegal substances. In a study to be presented to the school board Thursday, researchers also found that more elementary students had experimented with so-called "inhalants" - such as glue or nail polish remover - than had smoked cigarettes. The results of the study, to be used to help the school system develop drug-prevention programs, have surprised some school board members who received a memo outlining the study. "The first thing that hit me is how important it is to get to these kids at an early age," said school board Chairman Suzanne Plogman. "That was discouraging." Eric Wish, director of the University of Maryland's Center for Substance Abuse Research, said that although it is alarming that younger students are involved in the market for illegal drugs, the survey's findings are in line with constant evidence that the market is going strong. "While drug use in public schools is definitely down from peak levels that were reached in the 1980s, there are still a lot of drugs on the street and someone is selling them," Mr. Wish said. "I'm not surprised students are selling drugs." The study was based on a sample of almost 8,000 pupils in the fourth through eighth grades - most between 9 and 14 years old. It found that: * Nine percent of fifth- and sixth-grade boys and about 10 percent of seventh- and eighth-grade boys said they helped sell drugs between October 1991 and the end of the school year last spring. * One-third of elementary students and 37 percent of middle-schoolers leave school each day to go to a home in which they are either unsupervised or responsible for caring for younger kids. * One in four elementary students and one in three middle school pupils aren't certain that they can talk about the things that bother them with an adult in their home. * Of eight categories of drugs - including liquor, crack, amphetamines and cigarettes - "beer, wine and wine coolers" were the most commonly used during the year prior to the study. About 15 percent of fourth-through-sixth-graders had consumed those products during the year, while 29 percent of middle schoolers said they had tried them. * More elementary students used inhalants than used cigarettes during the year. About 8 percent used an inhalant, while 6 percent smoked at least one cigarette. Among middle school-age youngsters, 17 percent said they had smoked, while 10 percent reported using an inhalant. * Less than 4 percent of all the students in the study said they used "hard drugs" like marijuana or crack during the year before the study. The school system will be using the study to develop drug-prevention programs more tailored to the types of temptations students are facing. "We know we need to place more emphasis on inhalants," said Ethel Engrum, coordinating supervisor for the school system's Office of Drug Education. The school system has been continuously reviewing its substance-abuse programs, most of which are administered through health education classes. In the last few years, several programs have been developed to try to curb student use and distribution of drugs. Next week teams of lawyers and doctors will be visiting health education classes to talk to middle school students about the legal and medical risks of getting involved with drugs. The program was developed with help from the county's medical association and the Maryland State Bar Association. Another program under way this year is geared toward parents. The program trains at least one parent in selected schools to conduct workshops and meetings with other parents on problems that can lead a child to try drugs, and how to intervene. This article is copyright 1992 The Washington Times. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM