Survey shows drop in smoking in high school

By Emily Richmond

Thursday, Dec. 18, 2003 | 11:13 a.m.

The percentage of Clark County high school students who said they smoke cigarettes has dropped to 19.5 percent -- the lowest rate in eight years, a new survey shows.

The biennial Nevada Youth Risk Behavior Survey asks students about their alcohol and tobacco use, sexual activity, personal habits and school safety. Students must have parental permission to participate and the results are used by the state and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

When asked the same questions last spring, 19.5 percent of Clark County high school students said they had smoked cigarettes in the previous 30 days, down from 25 percent in 2001 and 30 percent in 1995. Statewide results showed similar drops, to 19.3 percent from 25.3 percent in 2001.

Health advocates and educators cheered the news.

"From the start, our goal has been changing social norms and making smoking unacceptable for teenagers," said Maria Azzarelli, Clark County Health District's youth tobacco-control educator. "Every year we're seeing more and more strides."

Three years ago just 150 students signed up to participate in a youth education forum organized by the health district that focuses on combatting tobacco advertisements aimed at young people. At this year's forum, which is based on a national anti-tobacco program, more than 6,000 students signed up to take part, Azzarelli said.

Clark County Schools Superintendent Carlos Garcia was also pleased by the drop in the teen smoking rate.

"There's a good domino effect from this for all of us," Garcia said. "Less smoking means less breathing problems and cancer down the road."

The district has been aggressive in educating students about tobacco's risks as well as discouraging adults from smoking on campus, Garcia said.

"This is a significant issue for us," Garcia said.

Clark County high schoolers who said they had seriously considered suicide was down to 20.3 percent from 22 percent in 2001. Statewide numbers showed a similar drop, to 8.8 percent from 10.7 percent in 2001.

Nevada has one of the nation's highest rates of teen suicide and reducing that percentage has been a priority at both state and local levels.

"I can't think of a more important issue for us to be tackling," said Gary Waters, president of the Nevada Board of Education.

Waters said he has been in talks with Columbia University's Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry to bring a suicide risk and mental health screening program to Nevada public schools. The Clark County School District is also considering the program.

The survey also found fewer high schoolers reporting binge drinking -- defined as five or more drinks within a few hours -- 26.6 percent of the students in the most recent survey reported they had been binge drinking. The last survey's tally was 31 percent.

Forty-two percent of high schoolers surveyed said they had drunk alcohol in the 30 days prior to the survey. That was down from 46 percent in 2001.

The number of students who said they had used marijuana was down to 20.1 percent from 25 percent in 2001.

Binge drinking and illegal drug use were also down at the state level.

The survey results are used to gauge the effectiveness of in-school education programs and tailor curriculum accordingly.

Of the 1,982 ninth through 12th graders statewide who took part in the survey, 1,839 were in Clark County. That equals just 2.8 percent of the 65,501 students enrolled in the district's high schools.

Students are selected to participate using a statistical sampling program provided by the CDC, said Penny Soule, a testing coordinator for school district who was hired by the Nevada Education Department to coordinate the statewide survey. The sample reflects the ethnic and socio-economic diversity of the state, Soule said.

"We have no idea if it's a special ed class or an honors class that gets selected or how many from each school," Soule said. "That's to keep districts from picking the participants."

Of the students who were selected, 60 percent obtained the required parental permission -- meeting the CDC's minimum participation requirement.

Many of the county's most troubled teens were probably not in school on the day the survey was given, said Candice Kidd, director of Westcare's women and children's campus.

Of the 3,000 teenagers served by Westcare's shelter program last year, 75 percent reported drug use, Kidd said. Another 40 percent reported suicide attempts and depression, Kidd said.

"That's more than all the Clark County kids who took the (youth risk) survey," Kidd said.

Kidd said she was also interested to know how many students from each high school responded.

"You're going to get different answers from Palo Verde than from Las Vegas High," Kidd said. "Socioeconomics plays a part in this."

What is consistent among many of the teens Kidd sees is a lack of parental involvement and supervision.

"What teens tell us is that after school they go to a friend's house whose parents aren't home and where alcohol is readily available," Kidd said. "If you're already feeling like you don't have family support or you don't have a sense of belonging to your school or your community, you're ripe for risk."

While schools play a critical role for teenagers the importance of parental involvement can't be overstated, Kidd said.

"You have to be an approachable parent, you have to ask questions and listen to your children's answers," Kidd said. "You have to ask where they are going, who they are going out with and then follow up on what they tell you."

Jane Kadoich, director of guidance and counseling for the school district, said the most effective in-school education programs are those that are backed up at home and by peers.

"Not all kids internalize warnings the same way," Kadoich said. "Sometimes they need to hear it from us, sometimes it's a parent or a friend. A lot of times it's probably all three."