Tobacco, cocaine use up among students

CARSON CITY -- Cigarette smoking and the use of cocaine among public school students rose in 1998 but alcohol consumption and marijuana leveled off, a state survey shows.

The report, released Thursday by the state Department of Education, also said violence-related behaviors such as fighting and race-related threats and attacks showed a significant decline since the 1996 survey.

The department questioned 7,770 students or about 10 percent of the population in grades 6, 8, 10 and 12.

An analysis of the results "showed that early at-risk behavior among sixth-graders, especially in the areas of tobacco and marijuana use, increased the likelihood of at-risk behavior in other areas such as frequent drinking; fighting and carrying weapons on school property; low grades, frequent absences and seriously thinking about dropping out ..."

Cigarette smoking increased anywhere from 1.4 percent to 4.7 percent from 1996 despite efforts to stop the sale of tobacco to youngsters. The survey said 15 percent of the students questioned in grade 6 smoked and that ranged up to 49 percent of the seniors in high school. But Nevada students are 10-16 percent below the national average in use of cigarettes.

The report said, "daily smokers (in grade 8) were also five times more likely to be seriously considering dropping out than the average eighth-grader."

Michael Fitzgerald of the department said, "Chewing tobacco continues to be less popular than smoking among Nevada youth. Over the past decade the proportion of students who have ever used smokeless or chewing tobacco has declined steadily at all four grade levels."

For instance, 8.5 percent of the students in grade 8 chewed tobacco compared to 16.8 percent nationally. And 16.5 percent of Nevada seniors used smokeless tobacco as against the national 25.3 percent.

But use of cocaine among students is higher than the national average. In eighth-grade, 7.3 percent have used the drug compared to the national 4.4 percent. And by the senior grade, 9.5 percent have used cocaine compared to the national 8.7 percent.

Drinking remained high among Nevada students, but compared to 1996 there was a decline in grades 6, 8 and 12 and a slight 1.7 percent increase in grade 10. In the eighth grade, 58.7 percent of those questioned used alcohol, or nearly 5 percent above the national average. By grade 12, 75.9 percent of Nevada students were drinking, or more than 5 percent below the national average.

Twenty-eight percent of students in grade 8 used marijuana compared to the national 22.6 percent. But by the senior year, 43 percent of Nevada students were involved with the drug, or 6.6 percent lower than the national average.

Physical fights at schools declined in grades 6, 8 and 12 but rose slightly in grade 10. Twenty-six percent of the students were involved in fights in grade 6 but that declined to 10.5 percent in the senior year.

Mary Peterson, state superintendent of public instruction, said, "The decline in violence is encouraging news. The department believes that schools have a responsibility to provide safe, disciplined environments ..."

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