TEXAS SCHOOL SURVEY OF DRUG AND ALCOHOL USE

ARGYLE ISD

SECONDARY EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

OVERVIEW

In the Spring of 1996, 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 grade 8 in the Argyle Independent School District (AISD). A total of 61 students completed
the questionnaire, which asked about students' experiences with alcohol and drugs. Since no
students were identified as exaggerators, all 61 surveys were included in analysis.1

Students' responses to the questionnaire indicate that:

•Thirty-one percent of Argyle ISD students reported using tobacco at least once during
their lifetimes, and 10 percent said they had used tobacco during the past month.

•None of the Argyle ISD students said they smoke cigarettes on a daily basis, while 2
percent reported using a smokeless tobacco product on a daily basis.

•Thirty-eight percent of Argyle ISD students said they had used alcohol at least once
during their lifetimes, and 8 percent reported using alcohol during the past month.

•Two percent of Argyle ISD students reported attending at least one class during the past
year while "drunk."

•Lifetime use of inhalants was reported by 7 percent of Argyle ISD students, while none
of the students reported past-month inhalant use.

•Seven percent of Argyle ISD students reported using marijuana at least once during their
lifetimes, and none of the students said they had used marijuana during the past
month.

•Argyle ISD students are most likely to turn to friends for help with a drug or alcohol
problem (76 percent) and least likely to consult another adult in school, such as a
teacher or nurse (28 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.

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Over the last two years, the general use of tobacco (including cigarettes and smokeless products)
among 8th grade students statewide has stayed about the same.2 Overall, the general use of
tobacco products among Argyle ISD 8th graders is lower than that reported by their counterparts
statewide.

Thirty-one percent of Argyle students reported general tobacco use at least once during their
lifetimes, compared to 52 percent of 8th grade students statewide. Ten percent of Argyle ISD
students said they had used a tobacco product during the past month, less than half the rate
reported by 8th grade students statewide (23 percent).

Thirty percent of Argyle students reported smoking cigarettes at least once during their lifetimes
(50 percent statewide), and 10 percent said they had smoked cigarettes during the past month
(21 percent statewide), rates considerably lower than those reported by their peers statewide.
None of the district students reported smoking cigarettes on a daily basis (5 percent statewide),
while 3 percent said most or all of their close friends smoke cigarettes.3

Lifetime use of smokeless tobacco products was reported by 10 percent of AISD students (14
percent statewide), while 5 percent said they had used a smokeless tobacco product during the
past month (4 percent statewide). Using a smokeless tobacco product on a daily basis was
reported by 2 percent of district students (1 percent statewide), but none of the students said
most or all of their close friends use smokeless tobacco.

Alcohol

Alcohol is the most widely used substance among students statewide and in the Argyle ISD.
Alcohol use among 8th grade students statewide was similar to that reported two years ago.
Overall, Argyle ISD 8th graders are drinking alcohol at rates lower than those reported by their
peers statewide.

Thirty-eight percent of Argyle students reported consuming alcohol at least once during their
lifetimes, nearly half that reported by 8th graders statewide (68 percent). Eight percent of Argyle
ISD students said they had consumed alcohol during the past month, a quarter of the rate
reported by 8th grade students statewide (32 percent).

The alcoholic beverages most often consumed by Argyle students are beer (27 percent/49 percent
statewide) and wine coolers (26 percent/51 percent statewide), rates lower than those reported
by their counterparts statewide. Four percent of AISD students said they drink beer on a weekly

2
Statewide data is collected every other year. The statewide data used for comparison purposes in the district
report and executive summary is taken from the results of the survey administered in the Spring of 1996.

3
Because a non-standard grade combination was surveyed in this district, some statewide data are unavailable
for comparisons throughout this summary.

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or monthly basis (28 percent statewide), but none of the students percent said they drink wine
coolers weekly or monthly (27 percent statewide).

"Binge drinking" is the consumption of five or more beers, wine coolers, servings of wine, or
drinks with liquor at one time. AISD students are "binge drinking" beer and wine coolers at rates
considerably lower than those reported by 8th grade students statewide. Thirteen percent of
Argyle ISD students reported "binge drinking" beer at least once during their lifetimes (31
percent statewide), while 3 percent said they usually drink five or more beers at a time on
average when they drink (14 percent statewide). Lifetime "binge drinking" of wine coolers was
reported by 15 percent of AISD students (33 percent statewide), while 3 percent said they
usually drink five or more wine coolers at a time on average when they drink (16 percent
statewide).

Students were asked about the availability of alcohol, its use at school, its use among friends, and
its use at parties. Fifty-seven percent of Argyle ISD students said beer, wine, wine coolers, or
liquor were somewhat easy or very easy to obtain (69 percent statewide), and 2 percent reported
attending at least one class during the past school year while "drunk" (9 percent statewide), rates
lower than those reported by 8th grade students statewide.

Two percent of district students reported most or all of their close friends drink alcohol, in
contrast to the 27 percent reported by their peers statewide. Eleven percent of AISD students
responded "from friends" when asked where they obtained alcohol most of the time or always,
while 2 percent reported "difficulties of any kind" with friends because of one's own drinking (6
percent statewide).

Five percent of Argyle students said alcohol was used at most or all of the parties they attended
in the past school year, less than a quarter of the rate reported by 8th grade students statewide
(22 percent). Eight percent of district students responded "at parties" when asked where they
obtain alcohol most of the time or always, while 2 percent of AISD students said they get alcohol
"from the store" most of the time or always.

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, 95 percent of Argyle students said
their parents strongly or mildly disapprove (78 percent statewide). Two percent of district
students said they "don't know" how their parents feel about kids their age drinking beer (11
percent statewide), and 4 percent said their parents neither approve nor disapprove (8 percent
statewide).

Inhalants4

4
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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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 8th grade students statewide stayed about the same. Overall, Argyle ISD
8th graders are using inhalants at rates lower than those reported by their counterparts statewide.

Seven percent of Argyle students reported using inhalants at least once during their lifetimes, less
than a third of the rate reported by 8th grade students statewide (24 percent). None of the
Argyle ISD students said they had used inhalants during the past month (7 percent statewide).

None of the AISD students reported most or all of their close friends use inhalants (4 percent
statewide), said they had attended at least one class during the past school year while "high" on
inhalants (5 percent statewide), or said they had used two or more different kinds of inhalant
substances during their lifetimes (15 percent statewide).

Two percent of district students said they had inhaled glue (7 percent statewide), 2 percent
reported inhaling gasoline (7 percent statewide), and 2 percent reported inhaling substances in
the "other inhalants" category (11 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 8th grade students statewide has increased. The use of
marijuana, the most frequently used illicit substance, has also increased among 8th graders
statewide over the last two years.

In the Argyle ISD, 7 percent of students reported use of illicit drugs at least once during their
lifetimes (28 percent statewide), while 3 percent of AISD students said they had used one or
more illicit substances three or more times (20 percent statewide), rates lower than those
reported by 8th grade students statewide. Statewide, students who said they had used illicit
drugs reported using them an average of 1.9 times in the past 30 days and 4.5 times during their
lives. Argyle students reported average usage rates of 0.0 times in the past month and 0.3 times
during their lifetimes.

Seven percent of AISD students reported using marijuana at least once in their lifetimes, nearly a
quarter of the rate reported by their counterparts statewide (26 percent). None of the Argyle
ISD students reported smoking marijuana during the past month (14 percent statewide).

None of the Argyle ISD students reported attending class in the past year while "stoned" on
marijuana (11 percent statewide). Sixteen percent of AISD students said marijuana was
somewhat or very easy to obtain (41 percent statewide), and 2 percent reported most or all of
their close friends use marijuana (19 percent statewide), rates lower than those reported by 8th
graders statewide. Two percent of district students said they had gotten into "difficulties of any
kind" with their friends because of their own drug use (6 percent statewide). Three percent of

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the Argyle ISD students said that marijuana and/or other drugs were used at most or all of the
parties they attended during the school year, one fifth of the rate reported by their peers statewide
(15 percent).

When asked about parental attitudes toward marijuana use, Argyle students reported a
disapproval rate of 95 percent, a rate higher than that reported by 8th grade students statewide
(85 percent). Two percent of district students said they "don't know" how their parents feel
about kids their age using marijuana (9 percent statewide), while 4 percent said their parents
neither approve nor disapprove (3 percent statewide).

Other illicit substances are used by a small number of Argyle ISD students. Two percent of AISD
students reported using uppers (5 percent statewide), 2 percent said they had used hallucinogens
(5 percent statewide), and 2 percent reported using downers (4 percent statewide) at least once
during their lifetimes. None of the district students reported ever using powdered cocaine (5
percent statewide), crack (3 percent statewide), or steroids (2 percent statewide).

CHARACTERISTICS ASSOCIATED WITH DRUG USE

Statewide, female students were somewhat less likely to have used drugs than were male
students. In the Argyle ISD, male students were somewhat more likely to have used a tobacco
product and over two times more likely to have used an inhalant than were district female
students. On the other hand, AISD female students were the only reported users of
hallucinogens, uppers, or downers in the district. There were no other significant differences by
gender among AISD students with regard to the use of alcohol or marijuana.

When asked where they would go for help with a drug or alcohol problem, the largest percentage
of Argyle students said they would seek help from their friends (76 percent/72 percent
statewide). Seventy-two percent of AISD students said they would turn to their parents for help
with a drug or alcohol problem (57 percent statewide) and 72 percent said they would seek help
from a counselor or program in school (40 percent statewide), rates higher than those reported
by 8th grade students statewide. District students are least likely to seek help from another adult
in school, such as a teacher or nurse (28 percent/34 percent statewide). Since school began in
the Fall, 2 percent of Argyle students reported seeking help for any problems connected with
alcohol or drug use from someone other than family or friends (8 percent statewide).

All of the Argyle ISD students said they had gotten information about drugs and alcohol from a
school source since classes began in the Fall, compared to 80 percent of 8th graders statewide.
"An assembly program" was reported by 89 percent of district students as a source for
information about drugs and alcohol (52 percent statewide), while 75 percent said "an invited
school guest" was a source for this information (46 percent statewide), rates higher than those
reported by their counterparts statewide. Forty-nine percent of AISD students reported getting
information about drugs and alcohol from a "health class" (41 percent statewide).

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The influence of drug education programs may be reflected in students' attitudes toward the use
of specific substances. All of the Argyle students believe that crack use is "very dangerous" (86
percent statewide), and all of the students believe that powdered cocaine use is "very dangerous"
(85 percent statewide), rates higher than those reported by their peers statewide. Ninety-four
percent of AISD students believe that inhalant use is "very dangerous" (74 percent statewide), 80
percent believe that marijuana use is "very dangerous" (66 percent statewide), and 68 percent feel
that it is "very dangerous" to use alcohol (44 percent statewide), rates higher than those reported
by 8th grade students statewide. By contrast, the perceived danger of tobacco use is lower.
Only 35 percent of Argyle students believe that tobacco use is "very dangerous," a rate somewhat
lower than that reported by their counterparts statewide (43 percent).