Pubdate: Fri, 27 Oct 2006 Source: Missoulian (MT) Copyright: 2006 Missoulian Contact: http://www.missoulian.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/720 Author: Rob Chaney, The Missoulian Note: Only prints letters from within its print circulation area SURVEY FINDS DECLINE IN RISKY BEHAVIORS AMONG TEENS Missoula Students Are Changing Their Own Behavior for the Better, According to a Statewide Survey of Lifestyle Choices and Risks. "Missoula has continually reported higher use rates than the rest of the state that have held steady despite multiple prevention efforts," said Jori Frakie, head f the Missoula Forum for Children and Youth. "Finally, we have turned the corner." The Montana Prevention Needs Assessment takes place every two years. It surveys eighth-, 10th- and 12th-graders on their opinions about risky behavior, such as how many of their peers smoke, drink or use drugs. It also looks at "protective factors" such as whether families have clear rules about substance abuse, whether stores have procedures preventing the sale of tobacco or alcohol to minors and how involved students are in their school, church or other community organizations. Missoula moved in good directions, down on the risky trends and up on the protective trends, Frakie said. Underage drinking has dropped about 7 percent in the past six years. Cigarette and marijuana smoking also declined in the Missoula area. And the number of eighth-graders reporting binge drinking episodes dropped from 19.2 percent in 2002 to 11.6 percent in 2006. On the protective side, fewer students reported hanging out with friends who used drugs. They also said there were more opportunities and rewards for getting involved in community and social activities. Frakie credited the extensive coalition of school and community organizations that have pushed prevention strategies for the past decade. "When we reduce teen alcohol and other drug use, we also reduce teen violence, crime, injury, school drop-outs, sexual assault, teen pregnancy and addiction," Frakie said. "Preventing (risky behavior) in the first place is easier and less expensive than treating problems once they have already started." However, not all data is pointing the same way. The Office of Public Instruction's Youth Risk Behavior Survey showed a strong trend of declining tobacco use over the past decade. But its measurements of alcohol and drug use are not showing big changes, according to OPI statistician Susan Court. "Our data is showing there's still improvement to be made," Court said. "Seventy-seven percent of our kids having used alcohol in their lifetime is too many. What we should be asking is: 'Is that acceptable to you?' " The Youth Risk Behavior Survey is also given every two years. Unlike the Prevention Needs Assessment, it asks students about their own behaviors. Court warned that while the two surveys "dovetail nicely" in how they look at student behavior, making direct comparisons is impossible. Given the state's high rates of alcohol use, teen suicide and other risky behavior, there's no chance to relax yet. "We've definitely done well in prevention education on tobacco use," Court said. "We have fewer kids having sex, and of those who do, more are using condoms. We're very proud of those two trends right there. But on alcohol, binge-drinking and marijuana, there's still room for improvement." A group of students marched up Mount Sentinel on Wednesday afternoon to place a red ribbon next to the M. The symbol of a national drug prevention week nearly didn't make the trip. Missoula County Public Schools Safe Schools coordinator Marianne Moon said Wednesday the students asked permission to put up the ribbon, which they've done several years previously. But this time, they were told no because of growing erosion problems on the hillside. Moon asked MCPS Superintendent Jim Clark to seek an exception, but he was unsuccessful. So the students took a petition to University of Montana President George Dennison, asking for a waiver on the rule. To their satisfaction, Dennison grandfathered their demonstration into the hillside use rules, Moon said. "Never underestimate the power of kids," Moon said. View Reports Online Copies of the Montana Prevention Needs Assessment results for Missoula County and the state are available at the Missoulian Web site at http://www.missoulian.com/pna_survey. There will also be a link to the OPI Youth Risk Behavior Study results on the Web site. - --- MAP posted-by: Elaine