Study: Less drug use, more safety at Somerville High School
By George P. Hassett

Fewer local high school students are drinking alcohol and using drugs today than were two and four years ago, according to a study released this week and conducted by Somerville Cares About Prevention Coalition (SCAP).

  The survey, conducted every two years, is based largely upon student health surveys like the Center for Disease Control‚Äôs Youth Risk Behavior Survey, said Tammy Freitas da Rocha. It was developed by SCAP, in partnership with the Somerville Health Department, the Somerville Public Schools, Cambridge Health Alliance, and Social Science Research and Evaluation, Inc.
  The survey focused on seven categories: substance use, violence and safety, mental health, sexual behavior, weight perception and control, physical activity, and resiliency. It was administered to 1,003 Somerville High School students between grades nine and 12. Rocha said similar surveys were conducted in 2002 and 2004, allowing officials to track changes and trends in Somerville‚Äôs youth.
  One noticeable change came in the decrease of students reporting substance abuse, she said. Prominent decreases between 2004 and 2006 included a decline in alcohol use by Somerville teens from 43 percent in 2004 to 37 percent in 2006, reduced binge alcohol use from 26 percent in 2004 to 21 percent in 2006, and less cigarette smoking, from 17 percent in 2004 to 14 percent in 2006.
  Overall, fewer Somerville High students are using illicit drugs such as cocaine, heroin, marijuana, methamphetamines, ecstasy and oxycontin. Smokeless tobacco (used by 4.2 percent) and inhalants (used by 9 percent) were the only drugs to see slight increases in their use by local students.
The survey also noted stabilization in the number of violence-related experiences SHS students face since 2004 ‚Äì a contrast to the rise in violence experiences noted between 2002 and 2004, Rocha said.  Students also reported in that they felt supported in higher rates than in previous years ‚Äì more reported having adult confidants, high rates of athletic involvement, volunteerism, and other extracurricular activities. However, in 2006 more students reported witnessing acts of violence in their family and carrying weapons on school property than in 2004.         
Rocha said the survey results present a skewed picture of Somerville teens because the data concerns only risky behaviors like substance use and violence.
“It is important to emphasize the many positive aspects of adolescent life, the fact that these issues are not confined solely to youth, and that they are community issues that require the attention of all community members and organizations,” she said.
  The data collected can be a useful tool to help families understand the challenges facing their children, she said.
  To view the full report, visit the Somerville Cares About Prevention website at http://www.ci.somerville.ma.us, and click on the Health Department page.