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Teens: More drugs in schools
Albany Democrat-Herald (NY) ^ | August 18, 2005

Posted on 08/20/2005 8:05:10 AM PDT by Know your rights

WASHINGTON (AP) — More teens are saying there are drugs in their schools, and those who have access to them are more likely to try them, said a Columbia University survey released today.

Twenty-eight percent of middle-school-student respondents reported that drugs are used, kept or sold at their schools, a 47 percent jump since 2002, according to the 10th annual teen survey by Columbia's National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse.

The number of high schoolers saying drugs are at their schools rose 41 percent in the last three years, to 62 percent, the survey said.

Twelve- to 17-year-olds who report that there are drugs in their schools are three times likelier to try marijuana and twice as likely to drink alcohol than teens who say their schools are drug free, the survey showed.

"Availability is the mother of use,'' said Joseph Califano Jr., the center's president. "We really are putting an enormous number of 12- to 17-year-olds at great risk.''

Most of the teens surveyed — 58 percent — said the legality of cigarettes has no effect on their decision to smoke or abstain, and 48 percent said the fact that marijuana is illegal doesn't affect whether they use or don't use the drug.

Meanwhile, the survey found teens who viewed drugs as morally wrong were significantly less likely to try them, as were those who felt their parents would be "extremely upset'' to discover drug use.

The report found that teens who confided in their parents were at much lower risk of drug abuse than teens who turn first to another adult.

"If this survey does anything, it really shouts to parents: You cannot outsource your responsibility to law enforcement or the schools,'' Califano said. "I think when parents feel as strongly about drugs in the schools as they do about asbestos in the schools, we'll start getting the drugs out of the schools.''

The survey also found that teens who say they watch three or more R-rated movies in a typical month — about 43 percent — are seven times likelier to smoke cigarettes and six times likelier to try alcohol than teens who do not watch R-rated movies.

The correlation between R-rated movie watching and the risk of substance-abuse remains even after controlling for age, the report said. This was the first time the annual survey asked about R-rated movies.

"There's no question the correlation is very strong and it obviously wants further study,'' Califano said.

The survey was conducted by phone and involved 1,000 randomly selected teens aged 12 to 17 years old and 829 parents. Twenty-six percent of the teens said someone nearby could hear their answers. The margin of sampling error is plus or minus 3.1 percentage points for the teens and plus or minus 3.4 percentage point for the parents.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: angst; boring; drugcrap; enoughalready; evidenceforyourclaim; himrleroy; itsold; makeitstop; mrleroy; nmrismrleroy; thatsmrleroytoyou; wodlist
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Another stunning triumph for the War On Drugs.
1 posted on 08/20/2005 8:05:11 AM PDT by Know your rights
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To: Know your rights
The number of high schoolers saying drugs are at their schools rose 41 percent in the last three years, to 62 percent, the survey said. Twelve- to 17-year-olds who report that there are drugs in their schools are three times likelier to try marijuana and twice as likely to drink alcohol than teens who say their schools are drug free, the survey showed.

Couldn't read past this. Geez, 62 percent could *say* the sun didn't rise but we all know it did.

2 posted on 08/20/2005 8:09:32 AM PDT by mtbopfuyn (Legality does not dictate morality... Lavin)
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To: Know your rights
This wouldn't happen if drugs were illegal.

Oh wait...they already are? Well, make them more illegal then...

3 posted on 08/20/2005 8:11:00 AM PDT by Extremely Extreme Extremist
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To: Know your rights

Legal drugs given to even younger children is a far, far bigger problem.


4 posted on 08/20/2005 8:11:21 AM PDT by thoughtomator (Just call me Mr. Zero Diversity Points!)
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To: thoughtomator
Legal drugs given to even younger children is a far, far bigger problem.

How are younger children getting them now?

5 posted on 08/20/2005 8:12:46 AM PDT by Extremely Extreme Extremist
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To: mtbopfuyn

Hey Dude...notice the rise in illegal aliens in our school? Gimme anther hit, Dude.


6 posted on 08/20/2005 8:13:15 AM PDT by ncountylee (Dead terrorists smell like victory)
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To: Extremely Extreme Extremist

Widespread psychiatric misdiagnosis - the application of terms like ADD and ADHD to bored but otherwise perfectly healthy children by teachers, counselors, etc., and distribution by the schools themselves of cocaine- and speed-like substances such as Ritalin.


7 posted on 08/20/2005 8:16:36 AM PDT by thoughtomator (Just call me Mr. Zero Diversity Points!)
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To: thoughtomator

And children who have been drugged since grade school no doubt often continue their habit later on once off Ritalin, with illegal counterparts.


8 posted on 08/20/2005 8:19:30 AM PDT by little jeremiah (A vitiated state of morals, a corrupted public conscience, are incompatible with freedom. P. Henry)
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To: Know your rights

Califano is stating what should not have to be said. Parents are the front line in the War on Drugs. The front line is weak. What kind of parenting allows teenagers to watch 3 (or more) R-rated movies per week?


9 posted on 08/20/2005 8:19:54 AM PDT by silverleaf (Fasten your seat belts- it's going to be a BUMPY ride.)
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To: thoughtomator

I see what you're saying. I misinterpreted your post.


10 posted on 08/20/2005 8:21:28 AM PDT by Extremely Extreme Extremist
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To: little jeremiah
children who have been drugged since grade school no doubt often continue their habit later on once off Ritalin, with illegal counterparts.

Prove this. Cite a link.
11 posted on 08/20/2005 8:24:25 AM PDT by silverleaf (Fasten your seat belts- it's going to be a BUMPY ride.)
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To: ncountylee

Canada or Texas... hmm, lemme guess who's forking over more tax dollars for illegals and their kids' education.


12 posted on 08/20/2005 8:28:34 AM PDT by mtbopfuyn (Legality does not dictate morality... Lavin)
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To: thoughtomator

I have ADD and was diagnosed at 7 (12 years ago). In the past few years, I've noticed more and more kids have been diagnosed with "ADD" and to be honest it bothers me, because many of them don't really have it. It really depreciates the learning disability. ADD is not just about not paying attention. It's a processing problem.


13 posted on 08/20/2005 8:40:24 AM PDT by LauraleeBraswell
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To: Know your rights


Why is alcohol included with drugs?


14 posted on 08/20/2005 8:41:53 AM PDT by LauraleeBraswell
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To: silverleaf
children who have been drugged since grade school no doubt often continue their habit later on once off Ritalin, with illegal counterparts.

Prove this. Cite a link.

Looks like conjecture to me, the phrase "no doubt often" gives it away. But it does make sense that teaching kids that taking drugs makes them feel better and makes their life happier might influence later decisions about drugs. I'm guessing that the makers of Ritalin and Adderall aren't going to be funding any research to prove or disprove the point.

15 posted on 08/20/2005 8:42:04 AM PDT by cryptical
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To: LauraleeBraswell
Why is alcohol included with drugs?

Adding alcohol skews the numbers for the Drug Warriors to exaggerate the size of the problem, and thus the need for funding to combat it.

16 posted on 08/20/2005 8:47:05 AM PDT by cryptical
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To: cryptical; LauraleeBraswell
Why is alcohol included with drugs?

It doesn't appear to be included in the "drugs are used, kept or sold at their schools" numbers. It's included in statements like "three times likelier to try marijuana and twice as likely to drink alcohol" because it IS a drug ... and a deadlier and more addictive one than marijauna, at that.

17 posted on 08/20/2005 8:53:27 AM PDT by Know your rights (The modern enlightened liberal doesn't care what you believe as long as you don't really believe it.)
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To: Know your rights

Another scare article by the MSM. You can't control the mob unless you keep them scared of something, if not guns then drugs. If people are scared then they can be manipulated into accepting more legislation that chips away at their rights. Sooner or late we will have absolutely no rights what so ever and that time is most likely to be sooner.


18 posted on 08/20/2005 8:58:56 AM PDT by calex59 (If you have to take me apart to get me there, then I don't want to go!)
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To: calex59
If people are scared then they can be manipulated into accepting more legislation that chips away at their rights.

Sure, let's do more of what's failed. Isn't that the definition of insanity: doing the same thing and expecting different results?

19 posted on 08/20/2005 9:03:00 AM PDT by Know your rights (The modern enlightened liberal doesn't care what you believe as long as you don't really believe it.)
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To: Know your rights
"Availability is the mother of use,'' said Joseph Califano Jr., the center's president. "We really are putting an enormous number of 12- to 17-year-olds at great risk.''

Is it that or is it this:

Most of the teens surveyed — 58 percent — said the legality of cigarettes has no effect on their decision to smoke or abstain, and 48 percent said the fact that marijuana is illegal doesn't affect whether they use or don't use the drug.

Meanwhile, the survey found teens who viewed drugs as morally wrong were significantly less likely to try them, as were those who felt their parents would be "extremely upset'' to discover drug use.

I say the latter.

"If this survey does anything, it really shouts to parents: You cannot outsource your responsibility to law enforcement or the schools,'' Califano said. "I think when parents feel as strongly about drugs in the schools as they do about asbestos in the schools, we'll start getting the drugs out of the schools.''

The left and their financial supporters, the trial lawyers, hype the phony danger of asbestos and minimize the danger of drugs. The media echo that. Is there any connection to public attitudes? Certainly. As always, the truth is the opposite of what the left espouses.

20 posted on 08/20/2005 9:03:18 AM PDT by Mind-numbed Robot (Not all that needs to be done needs to be done by the government.)
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