Hollister – Students at San Benito High School say drug and
alcohol use has decreased in the past few years, and apparently
it’s a statewide trend, according to a study released by Attorney
General Bill Lockyer.
Hollister – Students at San Benito High School say drug and alcohol use has decreased in the past few years, and apparently it’s a statewide trend, according to a study released by Attorney General Bill Lockyer.
The results of the 10th Biennial California Student Survey (CSS), released last week, show teens throughout California are using less drugs, alcohol and tobacco in seventh, ninth and eleventh grade than previous years.
Of the eleventh-graders surveyed, students who have tried marijuana dropped from 34 percent to 30.5 percent, and while their alcohol use stayed the same, the amount of ninth-graders who have used alcohol decreased by 1 percent from 50 percent to 49 percent. SBHS Associated Student Body President Spenser Genesy remembers taking the survey last year, and he said he believes the tragic loss of fellow classmates in the past has caused the students body to reconsider their partying choices.
“I think a lot of the recent events at our school, like the tragedy of losing classmates has made a lot of students begin to realize what kinds of affects drugs and alcohol can have on their lives,” he said.
Last December, recent SBHS alumni Matt Lopez, 18, and Paul “P.J.” Galvan, 18, were killed in a car accident where the driver was under the influence of alcohol.
Freshman Renee Rocha just started at SBHS and said she’s heard from older students about the parties of the past, but the consensus these days is that drinking and drugs is “stupid.”
“All of the friends I’ve met lately think it’s stupid,” she said. “And their older sisters and brothers used to do it (drink), but then they got over it, and now they don’t anymore.”
Sophomore Angel Perez agrees with Rocha, and said he believes the survey’s results are accurate.
“I think drug and alcohol use has gone way down here,” he said. “More people are just hanging out with their friends and playing sports.”
Another portion of the survey looked at smoking and tobacco use. The statewide result showed 15 percent of juniors smoked cigarettes within 30 days of the survey, which is down 4 percent from 2002. SBHS Vice Principal Krystal Lomanto said she’s happy to hear the students backing the accuracy of the survey results, and that the school has been actively trying to inform students about the consequences of tobacco, drugs and alcohol for years.
“When the students take human biology, they learn about drug education and they do hands on projects,” she said. “And it isn’t like a “sit and get” situation where they’re just talked to. They get very interactive with the information.”
The survey began in 1985, and is given every two years. Sponsored by the Attorney General’s Office, and co-sponsored by the Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs and the Department of Education, its goal is to measure alcohol and substance use among youth. The survey is anonymous, and was given to 10,351 teens in California.
Along with teaching their students about drug education, SBHS is also teaching their staff. During the past few years, SBHS has had the United Narcotics Enforcement Team (UNET) come to campus and talk with supervisors and staff about how to talk with students about drugs. Even though there may be many reasons for the statewide drop in substance abuse, Lomanto agrees with Genesy, and said recent tragedies at the school may be causing students to reconsider using.
“I think a lot of these students have becomes more aware of what could really happen to them, and they’re starting to make the right decision,” she said.
Regardless of the decline in use, Genesy said there are still places on campus where students use drugs and alcohol, and where others can buy them.
“There’s always going to be some of that going on, just like any other campus,” he said. “But I think our campus is very safe and it’s only a selected few who are going to partake in that.”
To read the entire report, log onto: www.safestate.org.
Christine Tognetti is a staff writer. She can be reached at 637-5566, ext. 330. E-mail her at [email protected].
