TEXAS SCHOOL SURVEY OF DRUG AND ALCOHOL USE

SILSBEE 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 grades 10 and 12 in the Silsbee Independent School District (SISD). A total of 412 students
completed the questionnaire, which asked about students' experiences with alcohol and drugs.
Of that number, 24 surveys were excluded from analysis because students did not indicate their
grade or age, or because they were identified as exaggerators (i.e., claimed to have used a
non-existent drug or reported overly excessive drug use). The final number of surveys included
in the overall district analysis was 388.1

Students' responses to the questionnaire indicate that:

•Sixty-five percent of Silsbee ISD students reported using tobacco at least once during
their lifetimes, and 35 percent said they had used tobacco during the past month.

•Sixteen percent of Silsbee ISD students said they smoke cigarettes on a daily basis, while
4 percent reported using a smokeless tobacco product on a daily basis.

•Eighty percent of Silsbee ISD students said they had used alcohol at least once during
their lifetimes, and 40 percent reported using alcohol during the past month.

•Twenty-one percent of Silsbee ISD 10th and 12th grade students said they had driven a
car at least once during the past year after having "a good bit to drink."

•Lifetime use of inhalants was reported by 17 percent of Silsbee ISD students, while
past-month inhalant use was reported by 3 percent.

•Thirty percent of Silsbee ISD students reported using marijuana at least once during
their lifetimes, and 14 percent said they had used marijuana during the past
month.

•Silsbee ISD students are most likely to turn to friends for help with a drug or alcohol
problem (77 percent) and least likely to consult a counselor or program in school
(21 percent).

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.

1
Tobacco

Over the last two years, the general use of tobacco (including cigarettes and smokeless products)
among secondary students statewide has increased slightly.2 Sixty-five percent of Silsbee
students reported general tobacco use at least once during their lifetimes.3 Lifetime general
tobacco use was reported by 65 percent of Silsbee 10th graders (60 percent statewide) and 65
percent of SISD 12th graders (63 percent statewide).

Thirty-five percent of Silsbee ISD students said they had used a tobacco product during the past
month. Past-month general tobacco use was reported by 34 percent of Silsbee 10th grade
students (30 percent statewide) and 35 percent of district 12th grade students (34 percent
statewide).

Sixty-three percent of Silsbee students reported smoking cigarettes at least once during their
lifetimes, while 33 percent said they had smoked cigarettes during the past month, and 16 percent
reported smoking cigarettes on a daily basis. Daily cigarette use was reported by 15 percent of
SISD 10th graders (11 percent statewide) and 17 percent of district 12th graders (14 percent
statewide). Twenty-eight percent of Silsbee students said most or all of their close friends smoke
cigarettes.

Lifetime use of smokeless tobacco products was reported by 27 percent of SISD students, while
10 percent said they had used a smokeless tobacco product during the past month. Using a
smokeless tobacco product on a daily basis was reported by 4 percent of district students, and 6
percent 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 Silsbee ISD.
Alcohol use among secondary students statewide has decreased slightly from that reported two
years ago. Eighty percent of Silsbee students reported consuming alcohol at least once during
their lifetimes. Lifetime alcohol consumption was reported by 79 percent of Silsbee 10th graders
(79 percent statewide) and 82 percent of SISD 12th graders (85 percent statewide).

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 used in this district, no state data for 10th and 12th grades
combined are available for comparisons throughout this report.

2
Forty percent of Silsbee ISD students said they had consumed alcohol during the past month.
Past-month alcohol use was reported by 35 percent of Silsbee 10th grade students, a rate
somewhat lower than that reported by 10th grade students statewide (42 percent). Forty-seven
percent of district 12th grade students said they had consumed alcohol during the past month (51
percent statewide).

The alcoholic beverages most often consumed by Silsbee students are beer (68 percent) and wine
coolers (67 percent). Forty percent of SISD students said they drink beer on a weekly or
monthly basis, and 32 percent said they drink wine coolers weekly or monthly.

"Binge drinking" is the consumption of five or more beers, wine coolers, servings of wine, or
drinks with liquor at one time. Forty-four percent of Silsbee ISD students reported "binge
drinking" beer at least once during their lifetimes, while 29 percent said they usually drink five or
more beers at a time on average when they drink. Lifetime "binge drinking" of wine coolers was
reported by 44 percent of SISD students, while 23 percent said they usually drink five or more
wine coolers at a time on average when they drink.

Ten percent of Silsbee students reported attending at least one class during the past school year
while "drunk." Attending class while intoxicated was reported by 10 percent of district 10th
graders (10 percent statewide) and 8 percent of Silsbee 12th graders (10 percent statewide).
Twenty-one percent of SISD 10th and 12th grade students said that they had driven a car after
having "a good bit to drink" at least once during the past year (18 percent statewide). Driving
while intoxicated at least once during the past year was reported by 15 percent of district 10th
grade students (12 percent statewide) and 30 percent of Silsbee 12th grade students (26 percent
statewide). Driving while intoxicated four or more times during the past year was reported by 5
percent of district 10th and 12th graders (5 percent statewide).

Students were asked about the availability of alcohol, its use among friends, and its use at parties.
Eighty-five percent of Silsbee ISD students said beer, wine, wine coolers, or liquor were
somewhat easy or very easy to obtain. Forty-nine percent of district students reported most or
all of their close friends drink alcohol, and 48 percent responded "from friends" when asked
where they obtained alcohol most of the time or always. "Difficulties of any kind" with friends
because of one's own drinking was reported by 12 percent of SISD students (10 percent
statewide).

Forty-six percent of Silsbee students said alcohol was used at most or all of the parties they
attended in the past school year. Alcohol use at most or all parties was reported by 37* percent
of district 10th graders, a rate lower than that reported by 10th graders statewide (48 percent). 4
Sixty-one percent of Silsbee 12th graders said alcohol was used at most or all of the parties they
4
Data in this report marked with an asterisk are estimated to be statistically significant at the .01 level from
the comparable data for the state as a whole. This means that in only one of a hundred samples would a
difference this large have occurred when there was no difference between the district and state data. Differences
in very small districts will seldom be statistically significant due to the small number of cases. Differences that
are not marked may be important, but should be treated with more caution than those that are statistically
significant.

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attended in the past school year (61 percent statewide). Forty-seven percent of district students
responded "at parties" when asked where they obtain alcohol most of the time or always, while
15 percent of SISD students said they get alcohol "from the store" most of the time or always.

Students were asked how many days during the school year they were absent from class due to
an illness or for some other reason, and how many days they had gotten into trouble because of
conduct or attitude problems. Fewer SISD students who had not been absent since the Fall
reported having used alcohol during the past month (33 percent) than did district students who
said they had missed four or more days of school (43 percent). Sixty-seven percent of the
Silsbee students who had experienced difficulties with school officials on four or more days
reported using alcohol during the past 30 days. By contrast, only 28 percent of district students
who had not experienced difficulties with school officials because of conduct problems had used
alcohol within the past 30 days.

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, 73 percent of Silsbee students
said their parents strongly or mildly disapprove. Five percent of district students said they "don't
know" how their parents feel about kids their age drinking beer, and 15 percent said their parents
neither approve nor disapprove.

Inhalants5

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 secondary students statewide has stayed about the same. Seventeen
percent of Silsbee students reported using inhalants at least once during their lifetimes. Lifetime
use of inhalants was reported by 22 percent of Silsbee 10th graders (18 percent statewide) and 9
percent of SISD 12th graders (14 percent statewide).

Three percent of Silsbee ISD students said they had used inhalants during the past month.
Past-month inhalant use was reported by 3 percent of Silsbee 10th grade students (4 percent
statewide) and 2 percent of district 12th grade students (2 percent statewide).

Two percent of SISD students reported most or all of their close friends use inhalants, and 4
percent said they had attended at least one class during the past school year while "high" on
inhalants. Nine percent of SISD students said they had used two or more different kinds of
inhalant substances during their lifetimes.

Nine percent of district students reported inhaling gasoline, 8 percent said they had inhaled
liquid/spray paint, 7 percent reported inhaling correction fluid/Liquid Paper, 5 percent reported

5
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.

4
inhaling substances in the "other inhalants" category, and 4 percent said they had inhaled paint
thinner 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 secondary students statewide has increased. The use of
marijuana, the most frequently used illicit substance, has also increased among 10th and 12th
graders statewide over the last two years.

In the Silsbee ISD, 32 percent of students reported use of illicit drugs at least once during their
lifetimes, while 23 percent of SISD students said they had used one or more illicit substances
three or more times. Silsbee students who said they had used illicit drugs reported using them an
average of 1.7 times in the past 30 days and 6.3 times during their lives.

Thirty percent of SISD students reported using marijuana at least once in their lifetimes. Lifetime
use of marijuana was reported by 29 percent of Silsbee 10th graders (36 percent statewide) and
33 percent of SISD 12th graders (41 percent statewide), rates somewhat lower than those
reported by 10th and 12th graders statewide.

Past-month marijuana use was reported by 14 percent of Silsbee ISD students. Past-month
marijuana use was reported by 15 percent of Silsbee 10th grade students (18 percent statewide).
Eleven percent of district 12th grade students said they had smoked marijuana during the past
month, a rate somewhat lower than that reported by 12th grade students statewide (19 percent).

Eight percent of SISD students reported attending at least one class in the past year while
"stoned" on marijuana. Attending class while stoned was reported by 8* percent of district 10th
graders, just over half that reported by 10th graders statewide (14 percent). Eight percent of
SISD 12th graders reported attending at least one class in the past year while "stoned" on
marijuana (13 percent statewide). Driving under the influence of drugs at least once during the
past year was reported by 10 percent of Silsbee ISD 10th and 12th grade students (13 percent
statewide). Driving while under the influence of drugs at least once during the past year was
reported by 6 percent of district 10th grade students (10 percent statewide) and 16 percent of
Silsbee 12th grade students (17 percent statewide).

Sixty percent of SISD students said marijuana was somewhat or very easy to obtain, and 16
percent reported most or all of their close friends use marijuana. Five percent of district students
said they had gotten into "difficulties of any kind" with their friends because of their own drug
use. Seventeen percent of the Silsbee ISD students said that marijuana and/or other drugs were
used at most or all of the parties they attended during the school year. The use of marijuana and
or other drugs at most or all parties was reported by 17* percent of district 10th graders (29
percent statewide) and 17* percent of Silsbee 12th graders (33 percent statewide), rates lower
than those reported by 10th and 12th graders statewide.

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Fewer Silsbee ISD students who had not been absent since the Fall reported having used
marijuana during the past month (7 percent) than did district students who said they had missed
four or more days of school (16 percent). Seven percent of Silsbee students who had not gotten
into trouble with school officials reported using marijuana within the past 30 days. By contrast,
38 percent of district students who had gotten into trouble with school officials on four or more
days reported using marijuana during the past 30 days.

When asked about parental attitudes toward marijuana use, Silsbee students reported a
disapproval rate of 90 percent. Five percent of district students said they "don't know" how their
parents feel about kids their age using marijuana, while 4 percent said their parents neither
approve nor disapprove.

Other illicit substances are also used by Silsbee ISD students. Fourteen percent of SISD students
reported using uppers, 9 percent reported using downers, 6 percent said they had used
hallucinogens, 5 percent reported using ecstasy, 4 percent said they had used powdered cocaine,
4 percent reported using crack, and 4 percent said they had used steroids at least once during
their lifetimes.

CHARACTERISTICS ASSOCIATED WITH DRUG USE

Statewide, female students were somewhat less likely to have used drugs than were male
students. In the Silsbee ISD, male students were somewhat more likely to have used a tobacco
product, used an inhalant, or smoked marijuana, and over two times more likely to have used a
steroid than were district female students. There were no other significant differences by gender
among SISD students with regard to the use of alcohol or other illicit substances.

In the statewide survey, students living in two-parent homes reported lower drug use than did
students living in other family situations. SISD students living in other family situations were
somewhat more likely to have smoked marijuana or used hallucinogens, nearly twice as likely to
have used downers, over two times more likely to have used crack or uppers, and over three
times more likely to have used powdered cocaine than were those district students living in
homes with two parents. There were no other significant differences by living arrangement
among Silsbee ISD students with regard to the use of tobacco products, alcohol, inhalants,
steroids, or ecstasy.

When asked where they would go for help with a drug or alcohol problem, the largest percentage
of Silsbee students said they would seek help from their friends (77 percent). Fifty-seven percent
of SISD students said they would seek help from an adult friend or relative, and 52 percent said
they would turn to their parents. District students are least likely to seek help from a counselor
or program in school (21 percent), another adult in school, such as a teacher or nurse (29
percent), or a medical doctor (29 percent). Since school began in the Fall, 3 percent of Silsbee
students reported seeking help for any problems connected with alcohol or drug use from
someone other than family or friends.

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Sixty-four percent of Silsbee ISD students said they had gotten information about drugs and
alcohol from a school source since classes began in the Fall. "An assembly program" was
reported by 38 percent of district students as a source for information about drugs and alcohol,
while 36 percent reported getting information about drugs and alcohol from a "health class," and
27 percent said "an invited school guest" was a source for this information.

The influence of drug education programs may be reflected in students' attitudes toward the use
of specific substances. Ninety-three percent of Silsbee students believe that crack use is "very
dangerous," and 93 percent believe that powdered cocaine use is "very dangerous." Seventy-
seven percent of SISD students believe that inhalant use is "very dangerous," and 63 percent
believe that marijuana use is "very dangerous." By contrast, the perceived danger of alcohol and
tobacco use is lower. Only 42 percent of SISD students feel that it is "very dangerous" to use
alcohol, while 25 percent believe that tobacco use is "very dangerous."