[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 77 (Thursday, May 30, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E963]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




STATEMENT BY DANIELLE DUSHARM, HEATHER SKIDMORE, JESSICA WILLIAMS, AND 
                ETHAN THIBAULT REGARDING DRUG EDUCATION

                                 ______


                          HON. BERNARD SANDERS

                               of vermont

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 30, 1996

  Mr. SANDERS. Mr. Speaker, for the benefit of my colleagues I would 
like to have printed in the Record this statement by several students 
from Champlain Valley Union High School in Vermont, who were speaking 
at my recent town meeting on issues facing young people:

       We chose the topic of Drug Education for middle school 
     through some high school students, just because we feel that 
     drugs are everywhere, and in every high school, and involve 
     many people.
       I'm going to give you a couple of statistics. In 1992 [the] 
     Drug Education budget was cut, and since then the per cent of 
     8th graders rose from 6.2% in '91 to 13% in '94. That is 110% 
     increase. From 1992-94, pot use rose 62% among the 10th 
     graders, and 40% among 12th graders. In '91-94, 8th graders 
     who say [they] use pot in the previous years doubled to 13%. 
     In '92-94, pot use among the 10th graders increased 66%, 
     while 12th graders increased 40%. In '94, 95% of 10th graders 
     and 31% of 12th graders said they used marijuana in the past 
     year. Pot use has had the most dramatic turn-around in the 
     1990's.
       Other drugs on the rise, gradually: LSD, hallucinogens, 
     stimulants, barbiturates, and cocaine and crack, in 1994. At 
     every grade level from eight through twelve, one in five or 
     six tried sniffing an inhalant (such as glue, aerosol, paint 
     thinners), to just produce ``instant highs.'' Eighth graders 
     are most likely to have used inhalants than any other drug 
     except alcohol or tobacco. More than a third of the eighth 
     graders surveyed last year, and nearly half of the twelfth 
     graders said they used illicit drugs at least once. 20% of 
     the 8th graders said they had used inhalants, the most 
     widely-used drug in the age group.
       I'm going to go a little bit into some of the drug 
     education programs that are out there. DARE, which is Drug 
     Abuse Resistance Education; it's not proven to be effective 
     as far as 7th and 8th graders go. They're more concerned 
     about being distant from adults, and more concerned about 
     being accepted among their peers. A police officer comes in, 
     you know, this is great for 5th graders; they love the cops, 
     and the whole idea of them coming. But as far as the police 
     officer question and answer, it's not very effective. Kids as 
     far as 7th and 8 graders ask questions that they shouldn't be 
     asking. They should be asking questions on . . . the effects 
     of this drug: what would it do in long-term of use. It's 
     proven that 5th graders that have been introduced to the 
     D.A.R.E. Program increased tobacco use from 7th to 9th grade 
     from 13% to 37%, and I see that as being a high jump, 
     considering it's supposed to be preventing drug abuse.
       There's another program called the All-Stars Program, which 
     is involving 7th graders in Lexington, North Carolina. It 
     doesn't have teachers teaching. It has the children doing 
     skits--acting out plays--teaching themselves without 
     realizing that they're actually teaching each other to not do 
     drugs. I believe that's a pretty effective way of doing it.
       There's also a Life Skills Training, that involved 3,597 
     predominately white, middle class students in 56 public 
     schools in New York, which were users of alcohol, tobacco and 
     marijuana. The whole program consists of: 15 classes in 7th 
     grade; 10 booster sessions in 8th grade; and then it 
     continues on to your freshman year in high school, where 
     you're actually involved with older peers, as far as 12th 
     graders that are more experienced into the drugs. Among these 
     students that got the complete program vs. a control, 44% 
     fewer were pot smokers (weekly), 23-33% fewer students got 
     drunk once/month, and about 33% fewer were a pack a day 
     smoker. So, the program seems to be pretty effective as far 
     as teaching education on the effects of drugs and what it 
     does to you, other than, you know, question & answer.
       That's pretty much it.
       Congressman SANDERS. Thank you very much. (APPLAUSE) Let me 
     ask you a couple of questions. From your own personal 
     observation, how serious is the drug and tobacco problem for 
     young people in the State of Vermont?
       Answer. Very serious. I mean, it's everywhere. . . . To me, 
     I feel like there's no way you can escape it. You walk into a 
     bathroom at school, and there's nothing but filled with 
     smoke. I mean, there are other bathrooms to use, but if that 
     happens to be the closest one, there's no way of avoiding it. 
     You know, you tell them to stop, you bring them to the 
     office, it doesn't stop it; they're going to do what they 
     want, just because, they're rebelling against the 
     administration, or whatever it is. And, I just feel a lot of 
     it needs to be dealt with as far as education.
       Congressman SANDERS. What you've suggested is that some of 
     the government programs, at least in your judgment, might not 
     be that effective--are not working. What would you suggest to 
     the State of Vermont actually in order to get kids away from 
     drugs and tobacco?
       Answer. I would suggest--I would start educating in 5th 
     grade, but then continue through 7th and 8th grade; but not 
     doing is as D.A.R.E., where an officer comes in. You have 
     them acting out skits . . . one student being the supposedly 
     drug dealer and another being peer-pressured into it, and . . 
     . have another student in there saying, ``You know, don't do 
     it.'' So, pretty much teaching each other to not do drugs.

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