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Alcohol, Tobacco and Substance Abuse and Washington Children, January 1999

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Contacts:

Richard N. Brandon, Ph.D., Project Director,
Washington Kids Count, U.W.
Wk: (206) 543-8483

Kenneth D. Stark, Director,
WA Division of Alcohol and Substance Abuse
Tel: 360-438-8200

Guns, Violence and Poor Grades a Tragic Outcome of Students' Alcohol and Drug Use

New study shows kids exposed from birth forward; prevention and treatment can help

Students who drink, smoke or use other drugs are three to five times more likely to carry a gun, attack someone and perform poorly in school, according to a new study released today by Washington Kids Count and the state Division of Alcohol and Substance Abuse.

The report, Alcohol, Tobacco and Substance Abuse and Washington Children, also shows that drugs and alcohol are a part of children's lives at all ages – from pre-birth when pregnant women use alcohol and drugs, to drug use among high school students – and that 80 percent of young children grow up with adult and parental role models using alcohol and drugs.

"This report shows that substance abuse pervades the lives of children before they are born, through childhood and adolescence, and lasts until they become parents and pass the behavior on to their children," said Dr. Richard Brandon, project director of Washington Kids Count. "Kids who use drugs and alcohol are responding to multiple factors in their homes and communities, such as parental substance abuse and lack of neighbors to provide support. We must respond with multiple solutions for intervention and prevention in our homes, communities and service programs."

Alcohol, Tobacco and Substance Abuse and Washington Children includes the following specific information:

  • Regular substance users are three to five times more likely to have given up on school, dropped out of school at some time and been suspended in the last year. Regular substance users do not consider it as important to get good grades and are less involved in sports and other extra-cirricular activities.
  • One in three regular users carries a weapon (32%) or was in a physical fight (33%) in the last month. More than a quarter (27%) were arrested in the last year.
  • A majority of mothers use alcohol, tobacco, or other harmful substances before pregnancy. One in six (17 %) mothers continue to smoke in the last three months of pregnancy; one in nine (11%) continue to drink.
  • Parents are not aware how pervasive drugs are for teens and how easy they are to get. One in 7 high school students in Washington reports being a recent heavy user of alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, inhalants or other illegal drugs. Half to two-thirds say marijuana and alcohol are easy to obtain.
  • Most (80%) of very young children grow up with the use of alcohol or drugs by their parents and other close adults as a role model; one third (35%) have parents or close adults who abuse alcohol or illegal drugs.

This report should serve as a wake-up call to every family, business, school and community in our state," explained Lyle Quasim, secretary of the state Department of Social and Health Services. "Our collective behavior is setting a pro-use environment for our children. Babies know the Budweiser frogs before they can read. Children are growing up with parents using alcohol and drugs in their homes. Adolescents are telling us clearly that drugs are easy to get.

The Washington Kids Count report is not the usual report card on adolescent behavior. It is a cry for adult responsibility. We will not make a significant difference in our children's drug use if we teach them only of the problems they will face if they use drugs, then turn them loose in an environment full of pro-use messages and behavior.

According to Kenneth Stark, director of DSHS's Division of Alcohol and Substance Abuse, a combination of targeted prevention strategies, chemical dependency treatment on demand, and community-supported law enforcement can help build healthy, safe communities in our state.

"DSHS plans to address the concerns raised in this report by establishing Project SAFE in Pierce County," Stark said. "The Social Accountability Financial Efficiency (SAFE) project is designed to reduce the social and economic cost of substance abuse by targeting a single community and giving it the financial resources to support a concentrated alcohol and drug prevention, intervention and treatment effort."

"For our children to succeed in the 21st century we must provide healthy, civil environments in our communities, homes and schools," noted Dr. Terry Bergeson, state Superintendent of Public Instruction. "This report presents a challenge calling for us to work together to provide such nurturing environments. Much needs to be done. I am happy to see that the statistics confirm what we already knew – kids that do not abuse do better in school and life. Working together we can help our children become the successful citizens of tomorrow."

The Alcohol, Tobacco and Substance Abuse and Washington Children report showed that pervasive use of alcohol and drugs is a cause for alarm and action, not for dismay. Use and abuse can be prevented and dependency can be treated successfully.

  • Treatment programs in Washington state have been shown to decrease use in teens and adults, to improve school performance, reduce arrests and detention in school, to increase employment and earnings and to reduce public costs of medical care and income assistance.
  • Arrest rates among a sample of youth treated for chemical dependency declined from two-thirds (67%) having been arrested before treatment, to one-third (35%) arrested in the 18 months following treatment. Felony arrests of youth dropped from 43% to 18%.