Pubdate: Wed, 25 May 2005 Source: Newton Tab (MA) Copyright: 2005 Newton Tab Contact: http://www2.townonline.com/newton/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3619 Author: Lindsay Crudele Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth) RESULTS FROM THE YOUTH RISK BEHAVIOR SURVEY Compared with the rest of the state, Newton kids are better informed, better behaved and use less alcohol and drugs. But that doesn't mean that all parents will be comfortable to hear about the behavior of many middle and high schoolers here. Nearly half of Newton high schoolers report drinking alcohol, and nearly one out of four say they have engaged in binge drinking sometime in a 30 day period, according to a recently released survey. Just about as many reported having smoked marijuana. In addition, about one-quarter of high school students say they have had sexual intercourse, with 28 percent of that group saying they didn't use a condom during their last sexual experience. Those are some of the results from last fall's Newton Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Three-thousand students, from grades six through 12, volunteered to answer questions about topics including drug and alcohol use, sexual behavior and dietary attitudes. The study showed that, since 1998, tobacco and alcohol use in Newton has declined, while sexual activities and smoking marijuana has remained steady. But compared to students across the state, the use of tobacco and alcohol is significantly lower in Newton. Meanwhile, fewer students in the Garden City engage in sexual intercourse, while condom use among those who are sexually active here is much higher. "It's encouraging. It seems like Newton kids are making better choices in a lot of areas," said Nancy DiMella, the school's health curriculum specialist who has coordinated the information-gathering effort for Newton schools since 1998. DiMella said that various measures are taken when analyzing the results - surveys answered jokingly are plucked, and the rates are compared with statewide trends, as well. For example, she said, "If our results mirror smaller increases and decreases at a statewide level, then it would be very unlikely that kids lied in the same direction across different communities." A trend in lower tobacco use among high school students - 14 percent compared to 21 percent statewide - had DiMella recalling a state-funded anti-smoking program that she thinks may be the cause of the positive impact. However, she noted that funding has dried up, and that teen smoking rates ought to be tracked in the next few years to see whether the anti-tobacco influence endures. She said it's important to give surveys like this one, which is mostly based on a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey, in order to dispel information based on anecdotal senses and hearsay. For example, she said she's heard a teacher comment that it seems more kids are talking about suicide, but that was not represented mathematically. Similarly, DiMella wondered if claims of stress had increased since the study's inception in 1998 which was followed by the introduction of MCAS testing and the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, but according to the tests, she said that reports of stress had remained level. According to the report, teen sexual activity in Newton has remained level since 1998, but that's a lot lower than the state average. And, when Newton kids do decide to engage in sexual activity, they use contraceptive protection at a much higher rate than the state average. DiMella credits the freshman-year sexual health course with contributing to kids' enlightenment. "When the AIDS pandemic made it clear that it wasn't a gay disease," she said, the class was conceived with the idea of providing students with information about contraceptives, disease prevention and sexual orientation, so they could have an accurate picture. At a time when students are beginning to date, DiMella said the course "... helps them to think that this is more serious business than they thought, and think about it better." However, while lower in all cases than the state average, the study shows almost half of Newton high school students drink; almost a quarter of them use alcohol; and more than two in 10 kids report being depressed. More high school students reported using marijuana than they did tobacco. "Even if we look better one year than the next, the numbers should also be looked at all by themselves," said DiMella. So while the city depression rate is less than the state's rate of 28 percent, DiMella warns that it doesn't mean there isn't cause for alarm. "Now, obviously there are 22 percent of kids who experience depression. Even if that is lower than the state, it's a number we need to be aware of," she said. Lindsay Crudele can be reached at Tobacco: 2 percent middle school and 14 percent of high school students report smoking a cigarette in the month before the survey. The state average is 21 percent for high school students. Alcohol: 7 percent of middle school and 41 percent of high school kids say they drank alcohol in the month before taking the study. The state high school average is 46 percent. Marijuana: 1 percent of middle school and 23 percent of high school students report using marijuana. The state rate of high school marijuana use is 28 percent. Other drugs: 3 percent of high school students reported using other illegal drugs. Mental health: 48 percent of middle school students and 74 percent of high school students report feeling stressed. 10 percent of middle school and 15 percent of high school students said they attempted to hurt themselves purposefully, such as by cutting or burning themselves. Statewide, 18 percent of high school students reported such behavior. Also, 22 percent of students say they are depressed at the high school level, and 9 percent of those had sought medical help. At the state level, the number is 28 percent. Sexual Behavior: 24 percent of high school students reported having sexual intercourse in their lives, at a steady rate since 1998. Statewide, that number is 41 percent. And, 72 percent of those students say they used a condom the last time they had sex, compared to 57 percent in the state. - --- MAP posted-by: Beth