TEXAS SCHOOL SURVEY OF DRUG AND ALCOHOL USE

EUSTACE ISD

SECONDARY EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

OVERVIEW

In the Spring of 1994, 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 7 through 12 in the Eustace Independent School District (EISD). A total of
336 students completed the questionnaire, which asked about students' experiences with alcohol
and drugs. Of that number, 19 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 317.1

Students' responses to the questionnaire indicate that:

•Sixty-three* percent of Eustace ISD students reported using tobacco at least once
during their lifetimes (Fig. 1), and 28 percent said they had used tobacco during
the past month (Fig. 2).2

•Fifteen* percent of EISD students said they smoke cigarettes on a daily basis, while 7*
percent reported using a smokeless tobacco product on a daily basis.

•Seventy-three percent of Eustace ISD students said they had used alcohol at least once
during their lifetimes (Fig. 1), and 35 percent reported using alcohol during the
past month (Fig. 2).

•Seven percent of EISD students reported attending at least one class during the past
year while "drunk," and 21 percent of district 9th through 12th grade students

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 and in the corresponding
figures. Figures referenced throughout this report are included in "Part III: Executive Summary."

2 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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 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 20 percent of district students (Fig. 1), while
past-month inhalant use was reported by 3 percent (Fig. 2).

•Twenty-eight percent of EISD students reported using marijuana at least once during
their lifetimes (Fig. 1), and 11 percent said they had used marijuana during the
past month (Fig. 2).

•Eustace ISD students are most likely to turn to friends for help with a drug or alcohol
problem (78 percent) and least likely to consult a counselor or program in school
(37 percent/35 percent statewide) or a medical doctor (37 percent) (Fig. 17).

Tobacco

In the last two years, the general use of tobacco (including cigarettes and smokeless products)
among students statewide has stayed much the same. Overall, the general use of tobacco
products among Eustace ISD students is somewhat higher than that reported by their
counterparts statewide.

Sixty-three* percent of Eustace students reported general tobacco use at least once during their
lifetimes, compared to 55 percent of students statewide (Fig. 1). Twenty-eight percent of
Eustace ISD students said they had used a tobacco product during the past month (24 percent
statewide) (Fig. 2).

Fifty-seven percent of Eustace students reported smoking cigarettes at least once during their
lifetimes (52 percent statewide), and 25 percent said they had smoked cigarettes during the past
month (22 percent statewide). Smoking cigarettes on a daily basis was reported by 15* percent
of district students, a rate somewhat higher than that reported by students statewide (7 percent).
Nineteen percent of EISD students said most or all of their close friends smoke cigarettes (19
percent statewide).

Lifetime use of smokeless tobacco products was reported by 34* percent of EISD students (17
percent statewide), while 11* percent said they had used a smokeless tobacco product during
the past month (6 percent statewide), rates higher than those reported by students statewide.
Using a smokeless tobacco product on a daily basis was reported by 7* percent of district
students (2 percent statewide), and 13* percent said most or all of their close friends use
smokeless tobacco (5 percent statewide).

Alcohol

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Alcohol is the most widely used substance among students statewide and in the Eustace ISD.
Alcohol use among secondary students statewide was similar to that reported two years ago.
Overall, Eustace ISD students are drinking alcohol at rates similar to those reported by their
peers statewide.

Seventy-three percent of Eustace students reported consuming alcohol at least once during their
lifetimes (74 percent statewide) (Fig. 1). Thirty-five percent of Eustace ISD students said they
had consumed alcohol during the past month (39 percent statewide) (Fig. 2).

The alcoholic beverages most often consumed by Eustace students are wine coolers (67
percent/61 percent statewide) and beer (63 percent/59 percent statewide). Thirty-eight percent
of EISD students said they drink beer on a weekly or monthly basis (37 percent statewide), and
33 percent said they drink wine coolers weekly or monthly (34 percent statewide).

"Binge drinking" is the consumption of five or more beers, wine coolers, servings of wine, or
drinks with liquor at one time. Fifty* percent of Eustace ISD students reported "binge
drinking" beer at least once during the past year (39 percent statewide), while 31* percent said
they usually drink five or more beers at a time on average when they drink (20 percent
statewide), rates higher than those reported by students statewide. Past year "binge drinking" of
wine coolers was reported by 48 percent of EISD students (41 percent statewide), while 27*
percent said they usually drink five or more wine coolers at a time on average when they drink
(19 percent statewide), rates somewhat higher than those reported by students statewide.

Seven percent of Eustace students reported attending at least one class during the past school
year while "drunk" (10 percent statewide) (Fig. 10). Twenty-one percent of EISD 9th through
12th grade students said that they had driven a car after having "a good bit to drink" at least
once during the past year (15 percent statewide). Driving while intoxicated four or more times
during the past year was reported by 3 percent of district 9th through 12th graders (4 percent
statewide) (Fig. 11).

Students were asked about the availability of alcohol, its use among friends, and its use at
parties. Seventy-seven percent of Eustace ISD students said beer, wine, wine coolers, or liquor
were somewhat easy or very easy to obtain, the same rate reported by their counterparts
statewide. Forty percent of district students reported most or all of their close friends drink
alcohol (40 percent statewide), and 40 percent responded "from friends" when asked where they
obtained alcohol most of the time or always (40 percent statewide). "Difficulties of any kind"
with friends because of one's own drinking was reported by 7 percent of EISD students (10
percent statewide).

Thirty-nine percent of Eustace students said alcohol was used at most or all of the parties they
attended in the past school year (39 percent statewide) (Fig. 12). Forty-three percent of district
students responded "at parties" when asked where they obtained alcohol most of the time or
always (44 percent statewide), while 16 percent of EISD students said they get alcohol "from
the store" most of the time or always (21 percent statewide).

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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 EISD students who had not been absent since the Fall
reported having used alcohol during the past month (23 percent/26 percent statewide) than did
district students who said they had missed four or more days of school (41 percent/47 percent
statewide). Sixty-nine percent of the district students who had experienced difficulties with
school officials on four or more days reported using alcohol during the past 30 days (65 percent
statewide). By contrast, only 22 percent of district students who had not experienced
difficulties with school officials because of conduct problems had used alcohol within the past
30 days (26 percent statewide).

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, 75 percent of Eustace students
said their parents strongly or mildly disapprove (75 percent statewide). Six percent of district
students said they "don't know" how their parents feel about kids their age drinking beer (10
percent statewide), and 15 percent said their parents neither approve nor disapprove (11 percent
statewide) (Fig. 15).

Inhalants3

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 students statewide decreased. Overall, Eustace ISD students are using
inhalants at rates similar to those reported by their counterparts statewide.

Twenty percent of Eustace students reported using inhalants at least once during their lifetimes
(19 percent statewide) (Fig. 1). Three percent of Eustace ISD students said they had used
inhalants during the past month (5 percent statewide) (Fig. 2).

One percent of EISD students reported most or all of their close friends use inhalants (3 percent
statewide), and 5 percent said they had attended at least one class during the past school year
while "high" on inhalants (3 percent statewide). Eleven percent of EISD students said they had
used two or more different kinds of inhalant substances during their lifetimes (12 percent
statewide).

The inhalant substance most frequently used by Eustace students was gasoline (9 percent/6
percent statewide). Eight percent of EISD students said they had inhaled correction
fluid/Liquid Paper (10 percent statewide), 8 percent reported inhaling substances in the "other
inhalants" category (8 percent statewide), 6 percent said they had inhaled glue (6 percent

3 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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statewide), and 6 percent said they had inhaled liquid/spray paint (7 percent statewide) at least
once during their lifetimes (Figs. 7a and 7b).

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 students statewide has increased. The use of
marijuana, the most frequently used illicit substance, has also increased among students
statewide over the last two years.

In the Eustace ISD, 28 percent of students reported use of illicit drugs at least once during their
lifetimes (28 percent statewide), while 17 percent of EISD students said they had used one or
more illicit substances three or more times (19 percent statewide). Statewide, students who said
they had used illicit drugs reported using them an average of 1.4 times in the past 30 days and
4.2 times during their lives. Eustace students reported average usage rates of 1.6 times in the
past month and 4.0 times during their lifetimes.

Twenty-eight percent of EISD students reported using marijuana at least once in their lifetimes,
a rate similar to that reported by students statewide (25 percent) (Fig. 1). Past-month marijuana
use was reported by 11 percent of Eustace ISD students (12 percent statewide) (Fig. 2).

Eight percent of EISD students reported attending at least one class in the past year while
"stoned" on marijuana (9 percent statewide) (Fig. 10). Driving under the influence of drugs at
least once during the past year was reported by 12 percent of Eustace ISD 9th through 12th
grade students (8 percent statewide).

Forty-six percent of EISD students said marijuana was somewhat or very easy to obtain (48
percent statewide), and 12 percent reported most or all of their close friends use marijuana (17
percent statewide). Three percent of district students said they had gotten into "difficulties of
any kind" with their friends because of their own drug use (5 percent statewide). Thirteen
percent of the Eustace ISD students said that marijuana and/or other drugs were used at most or
all of the parties they attended during the school year (17 percent statewide).

When asked about parental attitudes toward marijuana use, Eustace students reported a
disapproval rate of 89 percent (87 percent statewide). Six percent of district students said they
"don't know" how their parents feel about kids their age using marijuana (8 percent statewide),
while 2 percent said their parents neither approve nor disapprove (4 percent statewide) (Fig.
15).

Other illicit substances are used by a small number of Eustace ISD students. Eight percent of
district students said they had used uppers (7 percent statewide), 7 percent reported using
downers (5 percent statewide), 5 percent said they had used hallucinogens (6 percent statewide),

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and 4 percent reported using powdered cocaine (5 percent statewide) at least once in their
lifetimes (Fig. 1).

CHARACTERISTICS ASSOCIATED WITH DRUG USE

Statewide, female students were less likely to have used drugs than were male students. In the
Eustace ISD, male students were somewhat more likely to have used a tobacco product or
marijuana than were female students. There were no other significant differences by gender
among EISD students with regard to the use of alcohol products, inhalants, 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. EISD students living in other family situations were
somewhat more likely to have used uppers and nearly two times more likely to have used
marijuana than were those students living in homes with two parents, and students living in
other family situations were the only reported users of steroids in the district. There were no
other significant differences by living arrangement among Eustace ISD students with regard to
the use of tobacco or alcohol products, inhalants, or other illegal drugs.

When asked where they would go for help with a drug or alcohol problem, the largest
percentage of Eustace students said they would seek help from their friends (78 percent/74
percent statewide). Sixty percent of EISD students said they would seek help from an adult
friend or relative (57 percent statewide), and 56 percent said they would turn to their parents (54
percent statewide). District students are least likely to seek help from a counselor or program in
school (37 percent/35 percent statewide) or a medical doctor (37 percent/38 percent statewide)
(Fig. 17). Since school began in the Fall, 5 percent of Eustace students reported seeking help
for any problems connected with alcohol or drug use from someone other than family or friends
(7 percent statewide).

Seventy-seven percent of Eustace ISD students said they had gotten information about drugs
and alcohol from a school source since classes began in the Fall (79 percent statewide). "An
assembly program" was reported by 49 percent of district students as a source for information
about drugs and alcohol (53 percent statewide), while 46 percent said "an invited school guest"
was a source for this information (46 percent statewide). Forty-four percent of EISD students
reported getting information about drugs and alcohol from a "health class" (46 percent
statewide).

The influence of drug education programs may be reflected in students' attitudes toward the use
of specific substances. Ninety-two percent of Eustace students believe that crack use is "very
dangerous" (91 percent statewide), and 92 percent believe that powdered cocaine use is "very
dangerous" (90 percent statewide). Eighty-five percent of EISD students believe that inhalant
use is "very dangerous" (77 percent statewide), and 74 percent believe that marijuana use is
"very dangerous" (67 percent statewide). By contrast, the perceived danger of alcohol and
tobacco use is lower. Only 45 percent of EISD students feel that it is "very dangerous" to use

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alcohol (46 percent statewide), while 36 percent believe that tobacco use is "very dangerous"
(41 percent statewide) (Fig. 13).