PPAAUS 2006

Primary Prevention Awareness, Attitude, and Use Survey

Student Perspectives on the Use of Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs, and Violence
Franklin County Ohio Schools

Fact Sheet Questions and Answers
Executive Summary
Participation and Results Tables Totals
Participation and Results Tables by Gender and Grade
Report Graphs
Trend Graphs
Reliability Scales
Confidence Levels
Survey Instrument
Program Recommendations
Franklin County Ohio Schools Report Text - Narrative of 2006 Data

Fact Sheet Questions and Answers

1. Who completed the survey?
81,608 sixth through twelfth graders in Franklin County’s 16 public school districts and in 37 non-public schools

2. Who funded the survey?
ADAMH Board of Franklin County, Columbus Medical Association Foundation, United Way of Central Ohio, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services/Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Safe and Drug-Free Schools Consortium

3. Who designed the survey?
John Swisher, Ph.D., Pennsylvania State University Revisions by: Diagnostics Plus, State College, Pennsylvania and the Safe & Drug-Free Schools Consortium

4. Why was the survey selected?
The US Department of Education requires that program activities be based on an assessment of objective data regarding the incidence of violence and illegal drug use in schools. PPAAUS is a source for this information

5. Who administered the survey?
School staff who were trained and/or given explicit instructions in administration procedures

6. When was the survey administered?
November 6 – December 8, 2006, primarily in classroom settings, during the school day

7. Who scored the survey?
Diagnostics Plus, Inc., State College, Pennsylvaniaa

8. Were all students surveyed?
The data is representative of only the students in class on the day of the survey

9. Were all surveys included in the analysis?
No – 3,275 (4.0%) questionable and unusable surveys were eliminated. The Questionable-Response (QR) filter identifies students who may have been exaggerating or careless in their response patterns. Two or more QR points were cause to eliminate a survey from analyses.

10. The report was based upon how many usable surveys?
78,333 Total
11,757 - sixth graders
11,953 - seventh graders
12,185 - eighth graders
12,003 - freshmen
11,291 - sophomores
9,601 - juniors
8,303 - seniors

11. What was the percent of males and females completing the survey?
49% were male; 50% were female; 1% gave no answer

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Report Graphs

Trend Graphs

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Reliability Scales

A scale (a group of similar questions) is said to be reliable when the results obtained from it are repeatable and consistent. One of the most commonly used reliability coefficients is Cronbach's Alpha. Alpha is a measure of the internal consistency of a scale and is based on the average correlation of items within the scale. Positive correlations between the items in a scale are expected because they all measure the same construct. Alpha levels range from -1.0 to +1.0; the closer to +1.0, the more reliable the scale. Scales with alphas above +0.7 are considered to be very reliable. Analyses of reliability were conducted on several scales within the Primary Prevention Awareness, Attitude, and Use Survey for the Franklin County Schools. Results of those analyses are shown below.

RELIABILITY COEFFICIENTS
Franklin County Safe and Drug-Free Schools Consortium

Scale	# of items	PPAAUS Item numbers	Cronbach’s Alpha
			6th-8th Graders	9th-12th Graders
Problem Behaviors	12	56, 90-100	.805	.858
Well Being	4	146-149	.554	.592
Willingness to Use	15	10-24	.866	.890
ATOD Use	15	25-28, 30-40	.774	.830
Perpetrators	3	68-70	.675	.657
Victims	7	74-79, 101	.754	.730
Perception of Peer Use	3	44-46	.803	.738
Decision Making	3	7-9	.591	.693
Message from Parents	3	128, 134, 140	.791	.758
Message from Friends	3	129, 135, 141	.899	.826
Message from Teachers	3	130, 136, 142	.878	.862
Message from Coaches	3	131, 137, 143	.952	.931
Message from Club Advisors	3	132, 138, 144	.957	.950
Message from Media	3	133, 139, 145	.866	.777
School Climate – Learning Environment	2	59, 67	.589	.620
School Climate – Discipline	2	57, 66	.663	.615
School Climate – Students & Staff	4	58, 60, 63, 64	.716	.676
School Climate – Students & Other Students	2	61, 62	.820	.825
Risks	8	102-109	.944	.899

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Program Recommendations

Family Intervention Programs

High School Saturday Family Workshop - 12-hour program in 3 sessions
H.A.B.I.T. - Health Awareness for Being Independent of Tobacco - 4-hour program in one session

The series of Family Intervention Programs:

Strengthen family communication
Strengthen parenting skills
Teach student decision making
Educate about the harms of tobacco, alcohol and other drug use
Require that both parent and child attend

Schools, agencies, and law enforcement make referrals and families are invited to self-refer when there is concern about the behaviors of a middle or high school-aged young person.

Register for or inquire about Family Intervention Programs by calling: Deb Bassinger - 614.688.3200

Positive Youth Leadership Development

Learn about opportunities to support and develop drug-free youth leaders through:

Winners' Choice Camp - for 7th grade students, with high school leaders.
Youth to Youth International Summer Conference - A four-day camp of drug-free fun, learning and making new friends
High School and Middle School Advanced Leadership Training - A one-day workshop to develop youth leaders in schools.
Spread the Spirit Lock-In - Middle school overnight event focused on making positive choices and having drug-free fun.

For more information contact: Kathy Windau - windau@edcouncil.org, 614.292.8719

Parent to Parent and Other Parenting Resources

For information contact: Kathy Windau- windau@edcouncil.org, 614.292.8719

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Professional Development Workshops Training and Courses

The Safe and Drug-Free Schools Consortium offers a menu of opportunities for professionals who work with youth, both in schools and in agencies. The focus of these offerings is how to reduce academic barriers to learning and how to increase person-to-person respect and create supportive learning environments.

For information, contact: Betty Searcy - searcy@edcouncil.org, 614.292.0728

Resource Center

The lending library has videos, DVDs, curricula, books and classroom materials on topics that support safe and drug-free youth and address the non-academic barriers to learning. Topics include:

Drug Prevention
Bullying
Character Building
Parenting
Classroom Management
Conflict Resolution
Anger and Conflict Management
Resiliency, Social Skill and Asset Development
Crisis Planning and Management
Diversity
Tolerance
Staff Development/Team Building

For information contact: Karen Gebhart - gebhart@edcouncil.org, 614.292.8717

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Franklin County Ohio Schools Report Text - Narrative of 2006 Data

Background

As part of its commitment to the youth of Franklin County, the Safe and Drug-Free Schools Consortium of the Educational Council sponsors a triennial needs assessment survey for students in sixth through twelfth grades throughout Franklin County. In 2006, more than 81,000 students in Franklin County schools participated in the seventh Primary Prevention Awareness, Attitude and Use Survey.

With the information from PPAAUS, county and district prevention personnel are able to make decisions that guide prevention and intervention programs, planning, and policy. Many items and topics in PPAAUS have remained the same over the years to allow the Consortium to also track trends in behavior and attitudes. This year, the Consortium is especially interested in correlations between targeted behaviors and substance use. By finding these relationships, the Consortium will better be able to assist young people discover paths that will help them make healthy choices. Funding assistance for the 2006 survey was provided by the Alcohol Drug and Mental Health Board of Franklin County, Columbus Medical Association Foundation, Safe & Drug-Free Schools Consortium, United Way of Central Ohio, and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Substance Abuse Prevention.

In November 2006, surveys were administered primarily in standard classroom settings, with students marking their responses directly on the questionnaires. The Consortium provided coordination among all participating schools, training for survey administration, teacher scripts, written instructions, and envelopes for classroom collection. Diagnostics Plus, an independent survey-research organization, provided project coordination, survey scanning, data management, data analyses, and comprehensive reports and graphics.

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Survey Participation

In the Franklin County Schools, 81,608 students in grades six through twelve completed questionnaires. Participation by district is found in Table A of Section 5 of this report. After using a Questionable-Response (QR) filter, 78,333 surveys were included for the analyses in this report. The QR filter identifies students who may have been exaggerating or careless in their response patterns. For example, the questionnaire of any student claiming to have used “dactyls” (a bogus substance) within the past year was eliminated from analyses. Also eliminated was the questionnaire of any student claiming to be in a grade not served by the school being surveyed (grade 12 in a middle-school, for instance). A QR point was “awarded” for the following inconsistencies: claiming an ageof- first-use much higher than appropriate for the grade in school, claiming to be drunk much more than claiming to drink; claiming not to have used a substance on the age-of-first-use item while claiming regular use of that substance on another item; claiming to drive after drinking (or smoking marijuana) much more often than claiming to drink (or smoke). Two or more QR points based on these criteria were cause to eliminate a survey from analyses. In the Franklin County Schools, 3,275 questionnaires (4.0 percent) were excluded from the final data set because of two or more QR points.

Tables and graphics included with this report show students’ response patterns to PPAAUS items. For those interested in more indepth information, Section 5 contains frequencies of response by grade and gender for every PPAAUS item. A copy of PPAAUS is included with this report in Section 6.

To maintain consistency through the narrative reports of all schools and districts participating in the 2006 PPAAUS survey, “middleschool” refers to sixth through eighth grades and “high-school” refers to ninth through twelfth grades.

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Reliability

An important condition for obtaining honest responses from students is making them confident that their responses will remain anonymous. In the PPAAUS administration, students were given the option of not participating; students did not put their names or any identifying marks on their questionnaires; teachers remained at their desks; and surveys were collected by a student and/or placed into an envelope, and taken to a central collection area. A survey item (#152) asked students if they were made to feel sure that their answers would not be seen by anyone at their school. Eighty-four percent expressed confidence in their anonymity; only six percent of the students said no, and ten percent were not sure.

A scale (a group of similar questions) is said to be reliable when the results obtained from it are repeatable and consistent. One of the most commonly used reliability coefficients is Cronbach's Alpha. Alpha is a measure of the internal consistency of a scale and is based on the average correlation of items within the scale. Positive correlations between the items in a scale are expected because they all measure the same construct. Overall, reliability correlations of PPAAUS are very good; results of these analyses can be found in Section 6 of this report.

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Demographics

(PPAAUS items 1, 2, 4-6) The Franklin County Schools in the final report included 11,757 students in the sixth grade, 11,953 in the seventh grade, 12,185 in the eighth grade, 12,003 in the ninth grade, 11,291 in the tenth grade, 9,601 in the eleventh grade, 8,303 in the twelfth grade and 1,240 students did not provide their grade. Forty-nine percent were male and 50 percent female (one percent did not respond). Sixty-four percent indicated they were Caucasian, 24 percent African-American, four percent Asian, five percent Hispanic or Latino/a, four percent Native American or Alaskan Native, six percent multi-racial and seven percent “other” (one-half percent gave no response; students were allowed to give multiple responses). Ten percent indicated that English was a second language for them. Fifty-two percent of the Franklin County Schools students lived with two parents; six percent were in a jointcustody situation; 12 percent lived with a parent and a stepparent; 22 percent lived with a single parent; and four percent lived with other family. An average of four percent of all students surveyed either gave no response, a multiple response, or answered Other to the PPAAUS family item.

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Grades

(PPAAUS item 3) An average of 21 percent of the sixth through eighth graders and 17 percent of the ninth through twelfth graders described their grades as Excellent. Thirty-two percent of the middle-school students and 29 percent of the high-school students felt their grades were Very Good. An average of 29 percent of all surveyed students in Franklin County Schools thought their grades were Good, 17 percent Average, and five percent Below Average or Poor.

(PPAAUS items 150 & 151) Fifty-seven percent of the middle-school students and 48 percent of the high-school students felt good about their schoolwork (Most of the Time). An average of 38 percent of the sixth through eighth graders and 43 percent of the ninth through twelfth graders worried about doing well in school (Most of the Time); 24 percent and 17 percent respectively did not worry (Almost Never) about doing well in school.

(PPAAUS item 7) Of the middle-school students surveyed, 85 percent felt that their parents showed interest (Often or Always) in their schoolwork; fifteen percent felt that their parents did not show interest (Never or Sometimes). Seventy-nine percent of the highschool students thought their parents were interested in their schoolwork, and twenty-one percent thought their parents were not interested.

(PPAAUS items 8 & 9) An average of 81 percent of the Franklin County Schools students in grades six through eight and 65 percent in grades nine through twelve responded with Often or Always to this statement: "When I do something, I think how my family would be hurt or angry if I were caught using alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs." Eighty percent of the middle-school students and 62 percent of the high-school students were Often or Always "influenced by strong family values against the use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs."

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School Programs

(PPAAUS items 110-112) An average of 59 percent of the Franklin County Schools middle-school students had participated in performing arts programs (band, orchestra, choir, or theater) and 34 percent had participated in other activities (newspapers, yearbook, or clubs) within the past 12 months. Among high-school students, 36 percent had participated in performing arts programs and 37 percent in other activities.

Ten percent of the students in middle-school and nine percent of those in high-school had participated in Career Center or Vocation programs within the past year.

Athletics

(PPAAUS items 113) An average of 64 percent of the high-school students had participated in athletics on at least one level. An average of 69 percent of the students in grades six through eight indicated they participated in athletics.

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School Prevention Programs

(PPAAUS items 115-120) An average of 77 percent of all Franklin County Schools students had participated in Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E) at least once in school. Fifty-eight percent of the middle-school students had been in elementary school D.A.R.E. programs and thirty percent in middle-school D.A.R.E. programs. Seventy percent of the high-school students had been in elementary-school D.A.R.E. programs, 32 percent in middle-school D.A.R.E. programs, and three percent in high-school D.A.R.E. programs.

Twenty-seven percent of all students surveyed had been in Drug-Free clubs or activities such as Youth to Youth or Teen Institute. An average of 15 percent of the sixth through eighth graders had participated in elementary school and 14 percent in middle-school. Nine percent of the ninth through twelfth graders had participated in Drug-Free clubs or activities in elementary school, 17 percent in middle-school, and seven percent in high-school.

Of all Franklin County Schools students surveyed, 21 percent had participated in Violence Prevention programs like Conflict resolution, Peer Mediation and Second Step. Sixteen percent of the middle-school students had participated in elementary school and eight percent in middle-school. An average of 11 percent of the high-school students were in Violence Prevention programs in elementary school, 10 percent in middle-school, and three percent in high-school.

Twenty-nine percent of the Franklin County Schools students had participated in Drug-Free Leadership or Camps or Retreats (for example, Youth to Youth or Teen Institute). An average of 18 percent of the middle-school students participated in elementary school and 16 percent in middle-school. An average of 12 percent of the high-school students had participated in Drug-Free Leadership in elementary school, 18 percent in middle-school and seven percent in high-school.

An average of eight percent of the seventh and eighth graders and 11 percent of the ninth through twelfth graders had been to Winners’ Choice Camp in seventh grade.

Twenty-eight percent of the Franklin County Schools students had participated in After School programs such as mentoring or tutoring. An average of 16 percent of the middle-school students participated in elementary school and 13 percent in middle-school. An average of eight percent of the high-school students had participated in After School programs in elementary school, 14 percent in middle-school and 14 percent in high-school.

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Students Perceptions About School

Learning Environment (PPAAUS items 59, 67) An average of 92 percent of the Franklin County Schools middle-school students and 87 percent of the high-school students agreed (Strongly Agree or Agree) that “teachers in this school have high expectations for their students.” Eighty-three percent of the middle-school students and 80 percent of the high-school students thought that “the school is run in an orderly manner that helps learning to take place.”

Discipline (PPAAUS items 57, 66) In the Franklin County Schools, 79 percent of the middle-school students and 72 percent of the high-school students believed that “teachers in this school enforce school rules fairly.” An average of 83 percent and 78 percent respectively agreed that “my school does a good job of assisting students who need help.”

Students and Staff (PPAAUS items 58, 60, 63, 64) An average of 79 percent of the Franklin County Schools sixth through eighth graders and 75 percent of the ninth through twelfth graders thought that “teachers in this school treat students with respect.” Fiftynine percent of the middle-school students and 50 percent of the high-school students agreed with the statement: “I feel that I can talk to the teachers in this school about things that are bothering me.” An average of 57 percent of the middle-school students and 45 percent of the high-school students thought that “students in this school treat teachers with respect.” An average of 70 percent of the middle-school students and 72 percent of the high-school students felt that they had a “good relationship with an adult at this school.”

Students and Other Students (PPAAUS items 61 & 62) Among Franklin County Schools students, 47 percent of the middleschool students and 40 percent of the high-school students agreed that “students in this school really care about each other.” Fortyfour percent of the sixth through eighth graders and 39 percent of the ninth through twelfth graders agreed that “students in this school treat each other with respect.”

Staff, Students and Parents (PPAAUS item 65) An average of 77 percent of the Franklin County Schools sixth through eighth graders and 63 percent of the ninth through twelfth graders felt that “staff, students, and parents work together to solve problems.”

Well Being

(PPAAUS items 146-149) An average of 71 percent of the Franklin County Schools middle-school students said they were happy Most of the Time; four percent were happy Almost Never. Twelve percent of the sixth through eighth graders were depressed Most of the Time, and 46 percent Almost Never. Fourteen percent of the middle-school students said they were angry Most of the Time, and 23 percent said they were angry Almost Never. An average of thirteen percent were nervous Most of the Time, and 29 percent were Almost Never nervous.

Among high-school students, 71 percent said they were happy Most of the Time; eleven percent were depressed Most of the Time; eleven percent were angry Most of the Time; and ten percent were nervous Most of the Time. An average of three percent of the ninth through twelfth graders were Almost Never happy; 43 percent were Almost Never depressed; 27 percent were Almost Never angry; and 34 percent were Almost Never nervous.

Out of School Activities

(PPAAUS items 80-88) An average of 56 percent of the Franklin County Schools middle-school students and 59 percent of the high-school students did homework or other school projects daily. Forty-seven percent of the sixth through eighth graders and 43 percent of the ninth through twelfth graders participated daily in physical activities and/or community sports: jogging, swimming, baseball, soccer, dance classes, or exercise, for example. An average of 36 percent of the middle-school students and 25 percent of the high-school students participated daily in family activities (movies, dinner, TV, games, or shopping). Forty-seven percent of the middle-school students and 36 percent of the high-school students played computer games daily.

An average of 39 percent of the Franklin County Schools sixth through eighth graders and 62 percent of the ninth through twelfth graders participated in social activities with friends at least once a week. Forty-two percent of the middle-school students and 37 percent of the high-school students participated weekly or more often in religious activities (going to a place of worship, meetings, or services). Nine percent of the middle-school students and 29 percent of the high-school students worked for pay at least once a week in out-of-home jobs. An average of five percent of the sixth through eighth graders and eight percent of the ninth through twelfth graders did volunteer or community service activities weekly or more often. Seventeen percent of the middle-school students and eleven percent of the high-school students were in community activities (scouts, camps, after-school programs, or community holiday celebrations) at least weekly.

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Problem Behaviors

(PPAAUS Items 89-94) An average of sixteen percent of the Franklin County Schools students in grades six through eight and 39 percent in grades nine through twelve had skipped class at least once in the past year. An average of ten percent of the Franklin County Schools students in grades six through eight and 24 percent in grades nine through twelve had skipped school at least once in the past year; less than one percent of the middle-school students and three percent of the high-school students had been truant more than ten times. Thirty-three percent of the sixth through eighth graders had cheated on a class test at least once in the past year; two percent more than ten times. Fifty-two percent of the high-school students had cheated at least once; six percent had cheated more than ten times. An average of three percent of the middle-school students reported that they had sold drugs in the past year; less than one percent said they had done so ten times or more. Ten percent of the high-school students said they had sold drugs in the past year; three percent said they had done so more than ten times.

An average of 16 percent of the middle-school students reported vandalizing property at least once in the past year; one percent more than ten times. Twenty-two percent of the high-school students said they had vandalized property in the past year, and two percent said they had done it more than ten times. An average of seventeen percent of the Franklin County Schools middle-school students and sixteen percent of the high-school students said they had been suspended from school at least once within the past year; two percent of the middle-school students and two percent of the high-school students reported being suspended more than ten times.

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Victims and Perpetrators of Problem Behaviors

Victims (PPAAUS items 74-79, 101) Within the previous year, an average of 29 percent of the Franklin County Schools students in grades six through eight felt that other students had spread lies or false rumors about them more than once. Twenty percent of the middle-school students said they had been verbally attacked two times or more, and 16 percent felt they had been ostracized (left out of a group or activity to hurt you) more than once. Among middle-school students, four percent said that at least twice in the past year, someone had taken money or things directly from them using force, a weapon, or threats. Eight percent reported that they had been physically attacked at school at least twice, and nine percent said they had feared for their physical safety at school two or more times within the past year. Sixteen percent of the middle-school students had been called names, disrespected, physically threatened, or made to feel afraid online (chat rooms, blogs, IM) at least twice.

In the Franklin County Schools, 27 percent of the high-school students said they had been victims of lies or false rumors more than once in the past year, and 17 percent had been victims of verbal attacks. Twelve percent had been ostracized more than once in the past year. At least twice in the past year, two percent of the high-school students had something forcefully taken from them, and four percent had been physically attacked at school. An average of six percent of the high-school students said they had feared for their physical safety more than once in the previous year. Fourteen percent of the high-school students had been called names, disrespected, physically threatened, or made to feel afraid online (chat rooms, blogs, IM) at least twice.

Perpetrators (PPAAUS items 68-70) An average of 22 percent of the Franklin County Schools middle-school students and 19 percent of the high-school students reported that they had told lies or spread false rumors about someone at least two times in the previous year. Twelve percent of the middle-school students and thirteen percent of the high-school students had, on two or more occasions, left someone out of a group or activity to hurt that person. At least two times in the past year, 11 percent of the Franklin County Schools students in grades six through eight and eleven percent in grades nine through twelve had bullied (“pushed others around”) to intimidate them (“make them afraid”).

Bystanders (PPAAUS items 71-73) When hearing another student being called "mean or hurtful names," 51 percent of Franklin County Schools middle-school students and 45 percent of the high-school students asked the person to stop. Twenty-seven percent and seven percent of the middle-school students and the high-school students, respectively, reported it to an adult. Twenty-eight percent of middle-school students and 26 percent of high-school students were not sure what to do, while 33 percent of middleschool students and 47 percent of high-school students did nothing. An average of 15 percent of Franklin County Schools middleschool students and 22 percent of high-school students laughed; four percent of students in grades six through eight and six percent in grades nine through twelve joined in.

When seeing another student being "physically bullied (hit, shoved around, etc)," 44 percent of Franklin County Schools middleschool students and 41 percent of the high-school students asked the person to stop. Forty-nine percent and 26 percent of the middle-school students and the high-school students respectively reported it to an adult. Nineteen percent of middle-school students and 21 percent of high-school students were not sure what to do, while 19 percent of middle-school students and 28 percent of highschool students did nothing. An average of 19 percent of Franklin County Schools middle-school students and 26 percent of highschool students watched; three percent of students in grades six through twelve joined in.

When "someone is spreading mean rumors or gossip," 36 percent of Franklin County Schools middle-school students and 33 percent of the high-school students asked the person to stop. Twenty-two percent and six percent of the middle-school students and the high-school students, respectively, reported it to an adult. Twenty-one percent of middle-school students and 16 percent of highschool students were not sure what to do, while 30 percent of middle-school students and 43 percent of high-school students did nothing. An average of 31 percent of Franklin County Schools middle-school students and 37 percent of high-school students listened; six percent of students in grades six through twelve joined in.

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Perceived Peer Use of Alcohol, Tobacco and Marijuana

(PPAAUS items 44-46) Seventeen percent of the middle-school students believed that at least half (50% or 75% or All) of their classmates drank alcohol at least once a month, and 42 percent felt that none of them did. An average of fourteen percent of the students in grades six through eight perceived that at least half of their classmates smoked marijuana at least once a month; 61 percent believed that none of their classmates smoked marijuana monthly or more often. An average of 20 percent of the Franklin County Schools sixth through eighth graders perceived that at least half of the students at their school smoked cigarettes monthly or more often; 41 percent felt that none of their classmates smoked cigarettes with that frequency.

In grades nine through twelve in the Franklin County Schools, an average of 74 percent of the high-school students perceived that at least half of their classmates drank alcohol monthly or more often, and five percent believed that none of them did. Fifty-one percent felt that at least half of their classmates smoked marijuana at least once a month; nine percent of the high-school students felt that none of their classmates smoked marijuana monthly or more often. An average of 51 percent of the students felt that at least half of their classmates smoked cigarettes at least once a month; seven percent said that none of their classmates smoked cigarettes monthly or more often.

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Perceived Risk of Alcohol, Marijuana and Tobacco

Alcohol (PPAAUS items 106-109) An average of 25 percent of Franklin County Schools students in grades six through eight and 31 percent of students in grades nine through twelve perceived no risk of harm (physical or otherwise) if people try one or two drinks of an alcoholic beverage (beer, wine, liquor). Thirty-seven percent of middle-school students and 39 percent of high-school students perceived a slight risk, 20 percent of middle-school students and 16 percent of high-school students believed that there is moderate risk, and 14 percent of students in grades six through eight and 11 percent of students in grades nine through twelve believed that there is great risk. Five percent of middle-school students and three percent of high-school students indicated that they couldn't say or were unfamiliar.

Seventeen percent of students in grades six through eight and nine percent of students in grades nine through twelve perceived no risk of harm (physical or otherwise) if people take one or two drinks nearly every day. Fifteen percent of middle-school students and 16 percent of high-school students perceived a slight risk, 32 percent of middle-school students and 37 percent of high-school students believed that there is moderate risk, and 31 percent of students in grades six through eight and 34 percent of students in grades nine through twelve believed that there is great risk. Five percent of middle-school students and three percent of high-school students indicated that they couldn't say or were unfamiliar.

An average of fifteen percent of middle-school students and seven percent of high-school students perceived no risk if people take four or five drinks nearly every day. Five percent of middle-school students and five percent of high-school students perceived a slight risk, 14 percent of middle-school students and 15 percent of high-school students believed that there is moderate risk, and 60 percent of students in grades six through eight and 70 percent of students in grades nine through twelve believed that there is greatrisk. Seven percent of middle-school students and four percent of high-school students indicated that they couldn't say or were unfamiliar.

Sixteen percent of students in grades six through eight and eight percent of students in grades nine through twelve perceived no risk of harm (physical or otherwise) if people have five or more drinks once or twice each weekend. Seven percent of middle-school students and 10 percent of high-school students perceived a slight risk, 18 percent of middle-school students and 24 percent of highschool students believed that there is moderate risk, and 52 percent of students in grades six through eight and 53 percent of students in grades nine through twelve believed that there is great risk. Eight percent of middle-school students and five percent of high-school students indicated that they couldn't say or were unfamiliar.

Marijuana (PPAAUS items 103-105) Seventeen percent of Franklin County Schools middle-school students and 25 percent of high-school students perceived no risk of harm (physical or otherwise) if people try marijuana once or twice. Twenty-four percent of middle-school students and 35 percent of high-school students perceived a slight risk, 24 percent of middle-school students and 20 percent of high-school students believed that there is moderate risk, and 28 percent of students in grades six through eight and 16 percent of students in grades nine through twelve believed that there is great risk. Seven percent of middle-school students and four percent of high-school students indicated that they couldn't say or were unfamiliar.

An average of 16 percent of students in grades six through eight and 14 percent of students in grades nine through twelve perceived no risk of harm (physical or otherwise) if people smoke marijuana occasionally. Ten percent of middle-school students and 21 percent of high-school students perceived a slight risk, 28 percent of middle-school students and 35 percent of high-school students believed that there is moderate risk, and 39 percent of students in grades six through eight and 26 percent of students in grades ninethrough twelve believed that there is great risk. Eight percent of middle-school students and four percent of high-school students indicated that they couldn't say or were unfamiliar.

Fifteen percent of Franklin County Schools middle-school students and nine percent of high-school students perceived no risk of harm (physical or otherwise) if people smoke marijuana regularly. Five percent of middle-school students and nine percent of highschool students perceived a slight risk, 10 percent of middle-school students and 20 percent of high-school students believed that there is moderate risk, and 62 percent of students in grades six through eight and 58 percent of students in grades nine through twelve believed that there is great risk. Eight percent of middle-school students and five percent of high-school students indicated that they couldn't say or were unfamiliar.

Cigarettes (PPAAUS item 102) An average of 14 percent of Franklin County Schools students in grades six through eight and seven percent of students in grades nine through twelve perceived no risk of harm (physical or otherwise) if people smoke one or more packs of cigarettes per day. Eight percent of middle-school students and six percent of high-school students perceived a slight risk, 18 percent of middle-school students and 17 percent of high-school students believed that there is moderate risk, and 55 percent of students in grades six through eight and 67 percent of students in grades nine through twelve believed that there is great risk. Five percent of middle-school students and three percent of high-school students indicated that they couldn't say or were unfamiliar.

Willingness to Use Tobacco, Alcohol, and Other Drugs (PPAAUS items 10-24) Eleven percent of the middle-school students and 40 percent of the high-school students were willing to drink alcohol, and four percent of the middle-school students and 19 percent of the high-school students expressed interest in smoking marijuana. (“Willing” reflects responses of Would Like to Try or Use It or Would Use It Any Chance.) An average of threepercent of the Franklin County Schools sixth through eighth graders and 13 percent of the ninth through twelfth graders were willing to smoke cigarettes. An average of one percent of the middle-school students and four percent of the high-school students were willing to use chewing tobacco. Three percent of the middle-school students and 12 percent of the high-school students were willing to use other tobacco products, cigar-like.

One percent of the Franklin County Schools students in middle-school and five percent in high-school indicated they would use someone else’s prescription drugs to get high. One percent and three percent respectively would use over-the-counter medications to get high.

Less than one percent of the Franklin County Schools students in grades six through eight were willing to use designer or club drugs (ecstasy, XTC, Special K, GHB). Among ninth through twelfth graders, six percent were willing to use hallucinogens, two percent inhalants, three percent speed, one percent heroin, three percent cocaine or crack and five percent would use club drugs.

One percent of the middle-school students and two percent of the high-school students indicated interest in using steroids, and one percent of the middle-school students and six percent of the high-school students indicated interest in other performance enhancers (ephedra, glutamine, creatine).

Age of First Use of Alcohol, Marijuana, and Cigarettes (PPAAUS items 41-43) Of the middle-school students who reported drinking, 35 percent said they had their first drink of alcohol before the age of eleven. Nine percent of the high-school students who drank reported that they started drinking at age ten oryounger, and 70 percent between the ages of 11 and 15. An average of 22 percent of the juniors and seniors who drank said they started drinking when they were 16 or older. The average age of first use of alcohol among sixth through eighth graders was 11.4; among high-school students, 13.9.

Nineteen percent of the Franklin County Schools students in grades six through eight who smoked marijuana indicated they had started smoking at age ten or younger. An average of six percent of the high-school students who smoked marijuana started smoking at age ten or younger, and 72 percent started smoking between the ages of 11 and 15. An average of 22 percent of the juniors and seniors started smoking marijuana when they were 16 or older. The average age of first use of marijuana among middleschool students was 12.1; for high-school students, the average age of first use was 14.0.

Thirty-nine percent of the middle-school students who smoked reported that they had started smoking cigarettes when they were ten years old or younger. An average of 14 percent of the high-school students who smoked cigarettes said they started smoking before they were ten years old, and 67 percent when they were between 11 and 15 years old. Nineteen percent of the juniors and seniors didn’t begin smoking cigarettes until they were 16 or older. The average age of first use of cigarettes for middle-school students was 11.2; for high-school students, it was 13.4.

Self-Reported use of Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs “Regular use” in all report sections concerning self-reported use includes all students who checked Use About Every Day, Use About Once or Twice a Week, or Use About Once or Twice a Month – in other words, monthly or more often.

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Willingness to Use Alcohol, Tobacco, Other Drugs

(PPAAUS items 10-24) Eleven percent of the middle-school students and 40 percent of the high-school students were willing to drink alcohol, and four percent of the middle-school students and 19 percent of the high-school students expressed interest in smoking marijuana. (“Willing” reflects responses of Would Like to Try or Use It or Would Use It Any Chance.) An average of threepercent of the Franklin County Schools sixth through eighth graders and 13 percent of the ninth through twelfth graders were willing to smoke cigarettes. An average of one percent of the middle-school students and four percent of the high-school students were willing to use chewing tobacco. Three percent of the middle-school students and 12 percent of the high-school students were willing to use other tobacco products, cigar-like.

Less than one percent of the middle-school students were willing to use hallucinogens, less than one percent inhalants, less than one percent speed (crystal meth or angel dust), one-half percent heroin, less than one percent were willing to use cocaine or crack. Less than one percent of the Franklin County Schools students in grades six through eight were willing to use designer or club drugs (ecstasy, XTC, Special K, GHB). Among ninth through twelfth graders, six percent were willing to use hallucinogens, two percent inhalants, three percent speed, one percent heroin, three percent cocaine or crack and five percent would use club drugs.

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Age of First Use of Alcohol, Tobacco, Other Drugs

(PPAAUS items 41-43) Of the middle-school students who reported drinking, 35 percent said they had their first drink of alcohol before the age of eleven. Nine percent of the high-school students who drank reported that they started drinking at age ten or younger, and 70 percent between the ages of 11 and 15. An average of 22 percent of the juniors and seniors who drank said they started drinking when they were 16 or older. The average age of first use of alcohol among sixth through eighth graders was 11.4; among high-school students, 13.9.

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Self-Reported Use of Tobacco

Cigarettes (PPAAUS item 25) An average of three percent of middle-school students surveyed reported smoking cigarettes regularly. Thirteen percent of high-school students reported smoking cigarettes at least once a month; ten percent smoked at least once a week, with seven percent of high-school students smoking daily. Eighty-nine percent of the sixth through eighth graders and 72 percent of the ninth through twelfth graders had never smoked cigarettes.

Where students get cigarettes (PPAAUS item 48) By responding with a source, an average of nine percent of the sixth through eighth graders and 21 percent of the ninth through twelfth graders indicated they had obtained cigarettes. Four percent of the middleschool students had obtained cigarettes from family, seven percent from friends, and one percent had purchased cigarettes from a store (students were allowed to pick multiple responses). In high-school, four percent of the students got cigarettes from family, 15 percent from friends, and nine percent from a store.

Where students use cigarettes (PPAAUS item 51) By indicating a location, an average of seven percent of the students in grades six through eight and 20 percent in grades nine through twelve implied they had smoked cigarettes. Less than one percent of the middle-school students used them in school, four percent used them at parties, five percent used them at home, and less than onehalf percent used them at work (students were allowed to pick multiple responses). Three percent of the high-school students used cigarettes in school, 14 percent used them at parties, 12 percent used them at home, and four percent used them at work.

When students use cigarettes (PPAAUS item 54) One percent of middle-school students used cigarettes before school, one-half percent used them during school, three percent used them after school, two percent used them week nights, and five percent used them weekends (students were allowed to pick multiple responses). Seven percent of the high-school students used cigarettes before school, three percent used them during school, 11 percent used them after school, nine percent used them week nights, and 14 percent used them weekends.

Chewing Tobacco (PPAAUS item 34) Less than one-half percent of the middle-school students reported regular use of chewing tobacco. Three percent of high-school students reported regular use of chewing tobacco. Ninety-eight percent of the students in sixth through eighth grades had never used chewing tobacco. An average of 93 percent of the students in ninth through twelfth grades had never used chewing tobacco.

Other Tobacco Products, Cigar-like (PPAAUS item 39) An average of two percent of all middle-school students surveyed reported regular use of other tobacco products. Nine percent of high-school students reported regular use of other tobacco products. Daily use was less than one-half percent among middle-school students and two percent among high-school students. Ninety-six percent of the students in grades six through eight had never used other tobacco products. An average of 82 percent of the high-school students had never used other tobacco products.

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Self-Reported Use of Alcohol

“Regular use” in all report sections concerning self-reported use includes all students who checked Use About Every Day, Use About Once or Twice a Week, or Use About Once or Twice a Month – in other words, monthly or more often.

(PPAAUS items 24) Sixteen percent of the Franklin County students in grades six through twelve (15 percent of the males and 16 percent of the females) reported drinking alcohol at least once a month. In sixth grade, two percent of the students reported drinking monthly or more often. In seventh and eighth grades, six percent drank regularly; in ninth and tenth grades, 21 percent; and in eleventh and twelfth grades, 35 percent. One-half percent of the sixth graders, two percent of the seventh and eighth graders, seven percent of the ninth and tenth graders, and 14 percent of the juniors and seniors drank alcohol at least once a week.
Eighty-five percent of the students in grade six, 70 percent in grades seven and eight, 47 percent in grades nine and ten, and 34 percent in grades eleven and twelve had never drunk alcohol.

Self-Reported Use of Alcohol (PPAAUS item 26) Four percent of the middle-school students reported drinking alcohol at least once a month. Twenty-six percent of high-school students reported regular use of alcohol. One percent of the sixth through eighth graders and nine percent of the ninth through twelfth graders reported using alcohol once a week or more often.

Where students get alcohol (PPAAUS item 47) By responding with a source, 15 percent of the middle-school students and 47 percent of the high-school students indicated they had drunk alcohol. Twelve percent of the sixth through eighth graders and 19 percent of the ninth through twelfth graders had obtained alcohol from family members; six percent and 34 percent from friends, and two percent and nine percent had obtained alcohol at a store.

Where students use alcohol (PPAAUS item 50) By citing a location of use, 15 percent of the middle-school students and 47 percent of the ninth through twelfth graders indicated they had drunk alcohol. Of the middle-school students, one-half percent used it in school, eight percent used it at parties, 10 percent used it at home and less than one-half percent used it at work (students were allowed to pick multiple responses). Two percent of the high-school students used alcohol in school, 38 percent used it at parties, 23 percent used it at home, and one percent used it at work.

When students use alcohol (PPAAUS item 53) One-half percent of the middle-school students used alcohol before school, less than one-half percent used it during school, two percent used it after school, three percent used it week nights, and 12 percent used it weekends (students were allowed to pick multiple responses). Two percent of high-school students used alcohol before school, one percent used it during school, six percent used it after school, eight percent used it week nights, and 45 percent used it weekends.

Getting Drunk (PPAAUS item 88) An average of ten percent of the Franklin County middle-school students reported getting drunk in the past year. Six percent of the middle-school students had been drunk once or twice, two percent had been drunk three to ten times, and one percent had been drunk more than ten times in the past year. An average of 36 percent of the high-school students said they got drunk at least once in the past year. Thirteen percent of the high-school students had been drunk once or twice in the past year, 12 percent three to ten times, and 11 percent more than ten times. Ninety-six percent of the sixth graders, 88 percent of the seventh and eighth graders, 71 percent of the ninth and tenth graders, and 56 percent of the juniors and seniors had not been drunk in the last year.

(PPAAUS item 56) During the 30 days prior to being surveyed, an average of two percent of the Franklin County Schools middle-school students reported having one day in which they had five or more drinks of alcohol in a row. One percent reported two days, one percent three to five days, one percent six to nineteen days, and one percent 20 or more days. Six percent of the high-school students had one day in which they drank 5 or more drinks of alcohol in a row. Five percent reported two days, five percent three to five days, five percent six to nineteen days, and two percent 20 or more days. Ninety-four percent of the middleschool students and 76 percent of the high-school students had not consumed 5 or more drinks of alcohol in a row during the past 30 days.

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Self-Reported Use of Marijuana

(PPAAUS item 25) An average of ten percent of all students surveyed reported regular use of marijuana – 11 percent of the males and nine percent of the females. In sixth grade, one percent of the students indicated using marijuana monthly or more often, and in seventh and eighth grades, five percent indicated regular use. In ninth and tenth grades, 14 percent of the students reported smoking marijuana at least once a month; eight percent smoked at least once a week. Among juniors and seniors, 20 percent smoked marijuana regularly; 12 percent at least once a week.

Ninety-eight percent of the sixth graders, 89 percent of the seventh and eighth graders, 73 percent of the ninth and tenth graders, and 61 percent of the juniors and seniors had never smoked marijuana.

Self-Reported Use of Marijuana (PPAAUS item 27) An average of three percent of middle-school students surveyed reported regular use of marijuana. Fifteen percent of high-school students reported smoking marijuana at least once a month; nine percent smoked at least once a week. Ninety-three percent of the sixth through eighth graders and 71 percent of the ninth through twelfth graders had never smoked marijuana.

Where students get marijuana (PPAAUS item 49) Six percent of the Franklin County middle-school students and 25 percent of the high-school students, by replying to this item, indicated they had smoked marijuana. Five percent of the sixth through eighth graders and 24 percent of the high-school students cited friends as a source. An average of two percent of the middle-school students and four percent of the high-school students said they had obtained marijuana from family members.

Where students use marijuana (PPAAUS item 52) By responding with a location, five percent of the sixth through eighth graders and 24 percent of the ninth through twelfth graders indicated they had smoked marijuana. In middle-school, one-half percent of the students reported smoking marijuana at school, four percent at parties, three percent at home, and less than one-half percent in a work situation. In high-school, three percent of the students had smoked marijuana at school, 19 percent had smoked at parties, 12 percent at home, and two percent at work.

When students use marijuana (PPAAUS item 55) One percent of middle-school students used marijuana before school, less than one-half percent used it during school, two percent used it after school, two percent used it week nights, and five percent used it weekends (students were allowed to pick multiple responses). Five percent of the high-school students used marijuana before school, three percent used it during school, nine percent used it after school, nine percent used it week nights, and 21 percent used it weekends.

Self-Reported Use of Designer Drugs

Including Cocaine, Hallucinogens, Inhalants, and Speed

(PPAAUS items 31, 33-36) Fewer than one-half percent of the middle-school students and one percent of the high-school students reported using designer drugs or club drugs (ecstasy, XTC, Special K, and GHB, for example). Over all grades surveyed, regular use of club drugs was one percent among males and one percent among females. One percent of the Franklin County students surveyed (one percent male and one percent female) reported regular use of cocaine or crack – less than one-half percent in middle school and two percent in high school. An average of less than one-half percent of the middle-school students and two percent of the high-school students reported regular use of hallucinogens (one percent male and one-half percent female, overall). One-half percent of the sixth through eighth graders and one percent of the ninth through twelfth graders reported using inhalants at least once a month (overall, one-half percent of the males and one-half percent of the females). An average of one-half percent of the middle-school students and one percent of the high-school students (overall, one percent male and one-half percent female) used speed monthly or more often.

An average of 99 percent of the Franklin County students in grades six through eight had never used designer or club drugs; 96 percent of the high-school students had never used club drugs. Ninety-nine percent of the middle-school students and 96 percent of the high-school students had never used cocaine or crack. Ninety-nine percent of the middle-school students and 95 percent of the high-school students had never used hallucinogens, and 98 and 97 percent respectively had never used inhalants. An average of 99 percent of the middle-school students and 97 percent of the high-school students had never used speed.

Self-Reported Use of Designer Drugs, Cocaine, Hallucinogens, Inhalants, Speed, and Heroin (PPAAUS items 33, 35-38, 40) Less than one-half percent of the middle-school students and one percent of the high-school students reported using designer drugs or club drugs (ecstasy, XTC, Special K, and GHB, for example). Less than one percent of the Franklin County Schools students surveyed reported regular use of cocaine or crack – one percent in high-school and less than one-half percent in middle-school. Less than one-half percent of the middle-school students and two percent of the high-school students reported regular use of hallucinogens. Less than one-half percent of the sixth through eighth graders and one percent of the ninth through twelfth graders reported using inhalants at least once a month. An average of less than one-half percent of the middle-school students and one percent of the high-school students used speed monthly or more often. Less than one-half percent of the sixth through eighth graders and one-half percent of the ninth through twelfth graders reported using heroin at least once a month.

Almost 100 percent of the Franklin County Schools students in grades six through eight had never used designer or club drugs; 96 percent of the high-school students had never used club drugs. Ninety-nine percent of the middle-school students and 96 percent of the high-school students had never used cocaine or crack. Almost all of the middle-school students and 95 percent of the highschool students had never used hallucinogens, and 99 and 97 percent respectively had never used inhalants. Ninety-nine percent of the middle-school students and 97 percent of the high-school students had never used speed. Almost 100 percent of the middleschool students and 99 percent of the high-school students had never used heroin.

Self-Reported Abuse of Others’ Prescriptions and Over the Counter Medications

(PPAAUS items 29 & 30) An average of one-half percent of the Franklin County middle-school students and three percent of the high-school students reported regularly using others’ prescription drugs to get high - overall, two percent of the males and two percent of the females. One-half percent of the sixth through eighth graders and two percent of the ninth through twelfth graders reported that they used OTC medications to get high at least once a month (overall, one percent of the males and one percent of the females).

An average of 98 percent of the middle-school students and 92 percent of the high-school students had never abused others’ prescription medications; 99 percent and 93 percent respectively had never abused OTC medications.

Self-Reported Abuse of Others’ Prescriptions and Over-the-Counter Medications (PPAAUS items 31 & 32) Less than one-half percent of the Franklin County Schools middle-school students and three percent of the high-school students reported regularly using others’ prescription drugs to get high. Less than one percent of the sixth through eighth graders and two percent of the ninth through twelfth graders reported that they used OTC medications to get high at least once a month.

An average of 99 percent of the middle-school students and 92 percent of the high-school students had never abused others’ prescription medications; 97 percent and 94 percent respectively had never abused OTC medications.

Self-Reported Use of Steroids and Other Steroids

(PPAAUS items 28 & 30) Less than one-half percent of the Franklin County Schools sixth through eighth graders and less than one-half percent of the ninth through twelfth graders reported using steroids regularly. Less than one-half percent of the middleschool students and three percent of the high-school students used performance enhancers (such as ephedra, glutamine, or creatine) at least once a month.

Ninety-nine percent of the middle-school students and 99 percent of the high-school students had never used steroids, and 99 percent and 94 percent respectively had never used other performance enhancers.

Passenger and Driver Risks and Behaviors

Passenger Risks (PPAAUS items 96 & 97) Nineteen percent of the middle-school students, in the past year, had ridden in a car with a driver who had been drinking, and nine percent had ridden with a driver smoking marijuana. Twelve percent of the sixth through eighth graders had ridden with a drinking driver once or twice, four percent three to ten times, and three percent more than ten times. An average of five percent of the middle-school students had ridden with a marijuana-impaired driver once or twice in the past year, two percent three to ten times, and three percent more than ten times.

Among high-school students, 27 percent had been with a drinking driver and 25 percent with a marijuana-smoking driver at least once in the past year. Fifteen percent of the high-school students had been with a drinking driver once or twice, eight percent three to ten times, and five percent more than ten times in the past year. An average of 11 percent of the ninth through twelfth graders had been with a marijuana-smoking driver once or twice in the past year, seven percent three to ten times, and eight percent more than ten times.

An average of 81 percent of the middle-school students and 73 percent of the high-school students had not – within the past year -- been in a vehicle in which the driver had been drinking. Ninety-one percent of the middle-school students and 75 percent of the highschool students had not been in a vehicle with a marijuana-smoking driver.

Driver Risks (PPAAUS items 98 & 99) Of students who drive, 13 percent of the Franklin County Schools tenth graders, 19 percent of the juniors, and 26 percent of the seniors had driven after drinking at least once in the past year. Two percent of the tenth graders, three percent of the juniors, and four percent of the seniors drove after drinking more than ten times in the past year. Eight percent of the tenth graders, 11 percent of the juniors, and 14 percent of the seniors drove after drinking once or twice; and three percent, five percent, and eight percent respectively three to ten times.

Sixteen percent of the tenth graders, 17 percent of the juniors, and 20 percent of seniors drove at least once in the previous year after smoking marijuana. Seven percent of the tenth graders, seven percent of the eleventh graders, and eight percent of the twelfth graders drove once or twice after smoking marijuana; and four percent of the tenth graders, four percent of the juniors, and five percent of the seniors drove three to ten times after smoking marijuana. Five percent of the tenth graders, six percent of the eleventh graders, and seven percent of the twelfth graders drove more than ten times in the past year after smoking marijuana.

Within the previous year, 79 percent of the tenth through twelfth graders had not driven while or after drinking alcohol, and 82 percent had not driven after/while smoking marijuana.

Designated Drivers (PPAAUS item 100) Of students who drive, 36 percent of the tenth graders, 43 percent of the eleventh graders, and 51 percent of the twelfth graders reported having been a designated driver in the past year: seven percent, eight percent, and ten percent respectively were designated drivers ten times or more.

Sources of Information for Prevention Topics

(PPAAUS items 121-127)

Effects
An average of 68 percent of the Franklin County Schools middle-school students and 75 percent of the high-school students had learned about the effects of using alcohol, tobacco and other drugs from a D.A.R.E. officer. Forty-four percent of the sixth through eighth graders and 66 percent of the ninth through twelfth graders had learned about the effects of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs from a health teacher; 15 percent and 12 percent respectively from a guidance counselor. Parents were a source of information about the effects of substances for 57 percent of the middle-school students and 64 percent of the high-school students. An average of 19 percent of all students indicated that they had learned about the effects of substances from a source other than D.A.R.E., a health teacher, a guidance counselor, or a parent.

Decision Making
An average of 39 percent of the sixth through eighth graders had been taught about how to make decisions by a D.A.R.E. officer, 20 percent by a health teacher, and 16 percent by a guidance counselor. Twenty-nine percent of the high-school students had learned decision-making skills from a D.A.R.E. officer, 27 percent from a health teacher, and 19 percent from a guidance counselor. An average of 67 percent of the middle-school students and 76 percent of the high-school students had been taught how to make decisions by their parents. Twenty-one percent of all students said someone other than the four previously mentioned sources had taught them decision-making skills.

Assertiveness
Twenty-eight percent of the students in grades six through eight and 24 percent in grades nine through twelve had been taught by a D.A.R.E. officer how to stand up for what they believe. Fourteen percent and 15 percent respectively were taught assertiveness by a health teacher; 20 percent and 15 percent by a guidance counselor; and 72 percent and 79 percent by parents. An average of 26 percent of all students learned assertiveness from a source other than a D.A.R.E. officer, a health teacher, a guidance counselor, or a parent.

Refusal Skills
A D.A.R.E. officer was cited as a resource for information about how to refuse offers to use drugs by 63 percent of the middle-school students and 68 percent of the high-school students. An average of 34 percent of the sixth through eighth graders had been taught refusal skills by a health teacher, 17 percent by a guidance counselor, and 58 percent by parents. An average of 45 percent of the high-school students had learned refusal-skill techniques from a health teacher, 12 percent by a guidance counselor, and 60 percent by parents. Nineteen percent of all Franklin County Schools students surveyed indicated that one of their sources for refusal-skill information was someone other than the four specifically mentioned sources.

Stress Management
Twenty-four percent of the Franklin County Schools sixth through eighth graders and 17 percent of the ninth through twelfth graders named a D.A.R.E. officer as a source for information about how to deal with stress. An average of 34 percent of the middle-school students and 44 percent of the high-school students had learned stress-management skills from a health teacher, and 26 and 23 percent respectively from a guidance counselor. Parents had taught an average of 54 percent of the middle-school students and 57 percent of the high-school students how to deal with stress. Twenty-five percent of all Franklin County Schools students reported that they had learned how to deal with stress from another source.

Getting Along With Others
An average of 16 percent of the students in grades six through eight and 12 percent in grades nine through twelve had learned about making friends and getting along with people from a D.A.R.E. officer. Fourteen percent of the middle-school students and 14 percent of the high-school students been taught how to get along with others by a health teacher; Twenty-five percent of the middle-school students and 17 percent of the high-school students had been taught about making friends by a guidance counselor. Parents were named a source of information by 67 percent of the sixth through eighth graders and 69 percent of the ninth through twelfth graders. An average of 34 percent of the students indicated that they had been taught how to make friends and get along with people by some other resource.

Diversity
A D.A.R.E. officer was cited by 18 percent of the middle-school students and 13 percent of the high-school students as someone who had taught them “how to appreciate people different from yourself.” An average of 15 percent of the middle-school students and 15 percent of the high-school students had learned about diversity from a health teacher, and 24 percent and 17 percent respectively from a guidance counselor. Seventy-one percent of the students in grades six through eight and 74 percent in grades nine through twelve had been taught about diversity by parents. An average of 33 percent of all Franklin County Schools students had learned diversity from a source other than a D.A.R.E. officer, a health teacher, a guidance counselor, or a parent.

Perceived Messages about Use

(PPAAUS items 128-145) Students perceive different messages from different sources about the acceptability of drinking alcohol, smoking marijuana, and smoking cigarettes. In separate survey items, students were asked whether the message they received was "It's OK to use," or "It's not OK to use." Other response options were that a "mixed message" or “no message” came from a particular information source. The sources in the questionnaire are parents, friends, teachers, team coaches, club advisors, and the media (TV, radio, movies, magazines, music, or the Internet). In discussing coaches and club advisors, only those students who indicated participation in sports or clubs are included.

Alcohol
Among Franklin County Schools middle-school students, 81 percent felt that the message they received from their parents about drinking alcohol was “It’s not OK.” An average of 55 percent felt that they received an “It’s not OK” to drink alcohol message from their friends, 90 percent from their teachers, 85 percent from coaches, 80 percent from club advisors, and 35 percent from the media. An average of three percent of the sixth through eighth graders perceived an “It’s OK to use” message about alcohol from their parents, seven percent from their friends, one percent from teachers, one percent from coaches, one percent from activity advisors, and 19 percent from the media.

In high-school, 66 percent of the Franklin County Schools students said they got “It’s not OK to use” alcohol messages from their parents, 21 percent from their friends, 77 percent from their teachers, 87 percent from coaches, 78 percent from club advisors, and 15 percent from the media. An average of six percent of the high-school students perceived “It’s OK to use” messages about alcohol from their parents and 34 percent from their friends. Two percent perceived messages of approval from their teachers, two percent from coaches, two percent from club advisors, and 37 percent from the media.

Marijuana
Among sixth through eighth graders in the Franklin County Schools, 93 percent felt that the message they received from their parents about smoking marijuana was “It’s not OK to use.” Seventy percent of the middle-school students perceived “It’s not OK to use” messages from their friends, 92 percent from their teachers, 87 percent from coaches, 84 percent from activity advisors, and 54 percent from the media. An average of one percent of the sixth through eighth graders thought the message they got from parents was “It’s OK” to smoke marijuana. Five percent of the middle-school students perceived an approving message about marijuana from friends, one percent from teachers, one percent from coaches, one percent from club advisors, and nine percent from the media.

In high-school, 87 percent of the students said they got “It’s not OK” to smoke marijuana messages from their parents, 42 percent from their friends, 86 percent from their teachers, 91 percent from coaches, 83 percent from activity advisors, and 41 percent from the media. An average of three percent of the Franklin County Schools ninth through twelfth graders perceived “It’s OK to use” messages about marijuana from their parents and 22 percent from their friends. An average of two percent of the high-school students perceived messages of approval from their teachers, two percent from coaches, two percent from club advisors, and 14 percent from the media.

Tobacco
An average of 91 percent of the Franklin County Schools middle-school students indicated that the message they got from their parents about using tobacco was “It’s not OK to use.” Sixty-six percent perceived messages of disapproval from their friends, 92 percent from their teachers, 87 percent from coaches, 83 percent from advisors, and 42 percent from the media. One percent of the sixth through eighth graders felt that their parents’ message about tobacco use was “It’s OK to use.” An average of five percent perceived an “It’s OK” message about tobacco use from their friends, one percent from their teachers, one percent from coaches, one percent from club advisors, and 15 percent from the media.

Among high-school students, 83 percent felt that their parents’ message was “It’s not OK to use” tobacco products. Forty-three percent thought their friends disapproved of tobacco use, and 82 percent felt their teachers disapproved of its use. An average of 89 percent of the ninth through twelfth graders thought their coaches gave an “It’s not OK” message. Eighty-one percent perceived disapproval of tobacco use from their activity advisors, and 27 percent from the media. Three percent of the high-school students read an “It’s OK to use” tobacco message from their parents, 18 percent from their friends, two percent from their teachers, two percent from team coaches, two percent from their club advisors, and 25 percent from the media.

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