Livingston Municipal Alliance Committee Alcohol Tobacco & Other Drugs 2007-2008 Survey of the

1. Livingston Municipal Alliance Committee Alcohol Tobacco & Other Drugs 2007-2008 Survey of the Livingston School District Grades 4-12

2. Substance abuse and its related problems are among societies most pervasive of health and social concerns. National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) This is the reason for Livingston's Drug and Alcohol Survey.

3. About the survey ……. With the support of the Livingston Public Schools, the Municipal Alliance administered the “American Drug and Alcohol Survey” this year (2007-08) to students in grades 4 – 12 in the Livingston Public Schools. The results of the report issued by the Rocky Mountain Behavioral Science Institute (RMBSI) are referenced here with comments on trends, current programs and recommendations. All data is available online through the Livingston Public Schools website (www.livingston.org).

4. Number of Students Surveyed Livingston Elementary Schools 2001/022004/052007/08 Number Enrolled 734 759 895 Number Surveyed 721 98% 515 67% 694 78% LivingstonMiddle Schools Number Enrolled 1129 1192 1265 Number Surveyed 1095 97% 889 75% 973 77% Livingston High School Number Enrolled 1439 1572 1662 Number Surveyed 1350 94% 1105 70% 1091 66% Number Excluded 55 75 Totals: Number Enrolled 3302 3523 3822 Number Surveyed 3166 96% 2509 71% 2758 72%

5. Active vs. Passive Consent • 20% - 70% response rate on average for active consent • In Livingston, our respondent rate ranges from 66%-78% Noll, R.B., Zeller, M.H., Vannatta, K., Bukowski, W., & Davies, W.H. 1997. "Potential bias in classroom research: Comparison of children with permission and those who do not receive permission to participate." Journal of Clinical Child Psychology,26(1). 36-42.

6. Nationwide Statistics • 81% of students surveyed have had >1 drink of alcohol in their lifetime • 14.6% of students surveyed have sniffed glue, breathed the contents of aerosol, or inhaled any type of sprays or paints to get high during their lifetime • 11.3% of students surveyed have tried marijuana before age 13 years • 32.2% of students surveyed have had their first drink of alcohol before age 13 • 47.2% students surveyed have used marijuana in their lifetime • 30.2% of students surveyed have been offered, sold, or been given drugs on school property the 12 months preceding the survey Source: National Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 2005

7. L.M.A.C. A.T.O.D. SURVEY RESULTS for the ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS

8. Summary of Trends for the Elementary Age Students • Cigarette use has consistently decreased • Marijuana and alcohol use have increased slightly • 4th and 5th graders demonstrate increased understanding of the dangers of using drugs and alcohol • Inhalant use continues to be a significant concern • Bullying and victimization continue to be significant issues for female and male students with increases in reported incidents on the survey

9. Percent of 4th and 5th Graders Who Have “Ever-Tried” a Drug 9

10. Where Elementary Students Have Used Alcohol

11. Percent of Elementary Students Who Have Friends Who Use Drugs Percent of Elementary Students Who Have Friends Who Would Ask Them to Use Drugs

12. Percent of Elementary School Female (F) and Male (M) StudentsReporting Victimization

13. L. M.A.C. A.T.O.D. SURVEY RESULTS for the MIDDLE SCHOOLS

14. Summary of Trends for Middle School Age Students • Reporting by 6th, 7th and 8th graders for “ever using” alcohol has increased • The percentages of students who report ever having tried a drug have decreased • There has been a decrease in inhalant use for 7th and 8th graders in the last month, but inhalants are very accessible • Middle school students understand that getting drunk will lead to a lot of harm • Alcohol use at home continues to be a concern • Illegal prescription drug use is an increasing concern

15. Where Livingston Middle School Students Have Used Alcohol

16. Percent of Middle School Students Who Have Used “in the last month”

17. Perceived Availability of Drugs Among Middle School Students - Percent Indicating Either “fairly easy” or “very easy” to Get Each Drug 17

18. Tobacco Use by Middle School Students 18

19. L.M.A.C. A.T.O.D. SURVEY RESULTS forLIVINGSTON HIGH SCHOOL

20. Summary of Trends for High School Age Students • Drug use across all levels (high, moderate and low involvement) for LHS students increases by age/grade level • There is a consistent reduction in the belief that using alcohol, getting drunk or using marijuana once or twice will lead to “a lot” of harm • Reported use of tobacco, alcohol and other drugs over “last month” by 9th to 12th graders has increased

21. Summary of Trends in the High School • Hurting someone else is a reported result of the use of drugs, other than alcohol, for 12th graders • Prescription drug use is on the increase at LHS and nationwide • Alcohol use is reported to negatively impact relationships • Students continue to use inhalants despite the knowledge that use will cause harm • Bullying, violence and victimization continue to be areas of significant concern

22. Percent of Livingston High School Students & 12th Graders Across Country Who Have Used Each Drug in the Last Month 22

23. Where Livingston High School Students Have Used Alcohol 23

24. Admitted Problems of Livingston High School Students From Alcohol 24

25. Pattern of Drug Use Among Livingston High School Students – 2007/08

26. Percent of LHS Students Who Have Been Victims of Dating Violence or Sexual Assault

27. Percent of LHS Students Who Have Been Hurt, Bullied or Threatened

28. Current Programs and Recommendations

29. Current Programs in the Livingston Public Schools • K-12 School Counseling program addresses issues of bullying and victimization through class lessons, small groups and individual student meetings • Small groups run by Guidance and SAC help to develop social/emotional skills and provide support for grief/loss, Children of Alcoholics (COA) issues, new student transitions and other needs • D.A.R.E. is provided for 6th graders to encourage a non-use message and to develop refusal skills • Tobacco, drug and alcohol awareness is a focus through the Guidance and Health curricula, including events such as Red Ribbon Week and the Great American Smoke-Out • Rebel and Rebel 2 communicate anti-tobacco messages at Heritage and LHS

30. Current Programs in the Livingston Public Schools (cont’d.) • Listen-to-Children is an intergenerational program which enhances a student’s social and emotional coping skills • Student Ambassadors, Leo Club and Key Club encourage student leadership and service learning • All 4th graders are provided with a lesson on inhalants by the school counselors and/or teachers • “Parent Academies” support parent/guardian education related to issues such as bullying and academic stressors • District “Code of Conduct” defines expectations for behavior with a focus on responsibility and respect • Peer to Peer program at LHS strengthens leadership skills and promotes a non-use message

31. Current Programs in the Livingston Community • Healthy Community Healthy Youth (HCHY) Committee supports student-centered programs • Livingston Municipal Alliance Committee (LMAC) provides community and student awareness programs related to the prevention of tobacco, alcohol and substance abuse • The JCC MetroWest provides a variety of activities for youth • Livingston Youth & Community Services (LYCS) provides leadership skills training that promotes a tobacco, alcohol and drug free message • The YM/YWCA encourages living a healthy lifestyle and family activities • PT Council and PTAs/HSAs provide programming to support healthy lifestyles with students and families

32. Recommendations • Enhanced parent/community education related to inhalant, prescription drug and alcohol use • Increased coordination between schools and community • Continued education/awareness related to internet safety and cyber bullying • Increase alignment of K-12 Guidance and Health curricula to address issues of A.T.O.D., violence and victimization • Continue involvement and program focus during transition years (5/6, 6/7 and 8/9)regarding civility, diversity and conflict resolution • Provide consistent messages regarding athletics in the schools and in the community related to A.T.O.D.

33. Recommendations (cont’d) • Reduce “mixed” messages about usage at home through parent/guardian and student education • Intergenerational programming to instill and model social responsibility • Continue to educate staff regarding drug, alcohol and inhalants use • Coordination of information/resources throughout the community

34. Our children are our greatest resource . . . We must be vigilant. We must be believable. We must work together to protect them. Many thanks to L.M.A.C. for the Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs Survey and for their continued support. May, 2008