NCJ Number
200210
Date Published
September 2002
Length
122 pages
Annotation
This report presents the results of Delaware’s 2002 school surveys on drug abuse among Delaware students.
Abstract
Beginning in 1989, the State of Delaware began surveying 5th, 8th, and 11th graders in public schools throughout the State to gain an understanding of drug use prevalence among the State’s youth. The year 2002 objectives of the school survey were to estimate the incidence and prevalence of alcohol, tobacco, and other drug abuse, to assess student attitudes regarding drug use, and to provide trend data for comparability studies. Data from 4,880 eleventh graders, 6,753 eighth graders, and 7,248 fifth graders indicated that between 1989 and 2002, drug use among 5th graders has remained low and stable. Cigarette use by 8th and 11th graders in Delaware has declined every year since 1998, after remaining high from 1994 through 1998. Past month marijuana use among 8th and 11th graders in 2002 declined, although the decline for 8th graders was minimal. The percentage of students who knew where to buy cigarettes or alcohol declined since 2001. Notably, more students knew where to buy marijuana than either alcohol or cigarettes. The 2002 surveys also include items regarding the school environment and focused on such things as prevalence of violence, level of respect for teachers, and prevalence of drugs, including prescription drug use in school. As for factors that help prevent drug abuse among youths, the survey revealed that parental involvement was positively related to decreased drug and alcohol use. Conversely, students whose parents smoked cigarettes were more likely to smoke and use other drugs. Finally, the report compares Delaware with the national view of youth drug involvement and states that while rates of alcohol and tobacco use by youths in Delaware is comparable to the national average, rates of marijuana use among Delaware youths are higher than the rest of the Nation.