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.
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MAP posted-by: Elaine