Over 30% Imbibe ‘Frequently,’ Survey Shows : 75% of Irvine’s Juniors, Seniors Drink

More than 75% of the juniors and seniors in Irvine high schools have consumed alcohol in the past six months, and more than a third are “frequent drinkers,” a new study on teen-age alcohol abuse has found.

The yearlong study, which surveyed 7,286 students from the seventh to 12th grades, also found that more than a third of Irvine’s seventh-graders reported drinking within the last year, and almost half of all students surveyed reported having been intoxicated before they turned 15.

The study was commissioned by the city a year ago to find out how frequently students drink alcohol, how they buy it, where and when they drink it, and what the city and the schools might do to curb the problem.

Conducted by the city’s Substance Abuse Task Force, the study is believed to be the most extensive survey of teen-age alcohol abuse ever conducted in Orange County. The results will be presented to the Irvine City Council tonight.

Assisting in the survey were the Orange County Health Care Agency’s Alcohol and Drug Education and Prevention Team and UCI’s Drug Free Schools and Communities Program.

Despite 1988 figures released by the Orange County Health Care Agency that ranked Irvine lowest among county cities in teen-age alcohol-related problems, the report suggests that alcohol use among teen-agers remains widespread.

Alcohol was found to be the substance most widely abused by students, with more than 60% of all students from the ninth through 12th grades saying that they had used it.

Also, 40% said they had tried tobacco, and slightly more than 30% had used marijuana. Just 5% of the students admitted to having used crack cocaine.

The report said Irvine juniors and seniors smoke tobacco and marijuana less than their counterparts nationwide, as reported in the National High School Senior Survey conducted by the University of Michigan in 1988. But the use of psychedelic drugs by 10% of students in the ninth through 12th grades was slightly higher than the national figure, officials said.

Marsha Burgess, superintendent of Irvine’s family services office, noted that while the report “closely parallels the norms of the nation,” she found the results “striking.”

She said the city had to “look at it seriously to curb substance abuse within the city.”

The study was known to students as the Youth Alcohol Access Project. About 80% of middle and high school students took part. To gauge the patterns of teen alcohol purchase and consumption, students were asked to fill out questionnaires anonymously during school hours.

Among the survey’s findings:

- Among high school seniors, 76% said they had tried alcohol; 45% of all those surveyed said they had consumed as much as five or more drinks in a single day.

- About 12% of the high school students described themselves as “frequent” drinkers, and an almost equal number were tobacco smokers. A frequent user was one who reported drinking or smoking on at least 20 days in the last six months.

- Of those who do drink, 70% said they had been drunk. More than 20% said they had driven while drunk, and 42% said they have been a passenger in a car whose driver was drunk.

- Asked where and how they bought alcohol, 55% of high school students said they get it from friends, while 25% said they bought it from strangers met in front of a store. About 10% reported using fake identification cards.

- Of the students who drink alcohol, 27% said they had obtained it from a liquor store, 26% from a convenience store and 22% from a grocery store. Another 22% said they had obtained alcohol from a restaurant.

- High school students indicated that parties at private homes are a primary source of alcohol. The study said 15% of all high school students reported drinking at parties where parents were not home in the previous six months. Other areas frequently used for drinking were parks, beaches, open fields and construction sites, the survey found.

- Nine percent of the students said they drank alcohol on campus at least once during school hours, and nearly 20% reported drinking during school hours off campus.

- Asked, “Does your best friend drink?” 51% of high school students and 19% of middle school students responded “yes.” Regarding peer pressure, 21% of all the youngsters surveyed said they had taken a drink at a social gathering when they really did not want one.

The current national campaign against alcohol abuse, however, seems to be working. More than a quarter of the Irvine students said they should cut down or stop drinking. Half said they had discussed drinking with their parents, and 43% said they have worried about someone else’s drinking.

More than 80% of all the students surveyed said that more education and counseling programs are needed to deal with substance abuse. They also suggested holding “canteens”--a social gathering place for teen-agers in an alcohol-free environment--and launching after-school “dry” parties.

Dan Hicks, the top coordinator for the project, said that although the Irvine Unified School District has done a good job in education programs, more should be done.

“The social norms and tolerances have a lot to do with the way people view abuse, so the community as a whole needs to determine what standards are appropriate,” he said. “There is a need for shared responsibility.”

According to Hicks, too often the blame for substance abuse is placed on schools and law enforcement when it is not “one person’s problem, but a community’s problem.”

The district hopes to increase emphasis on its programs after the report is released, according to guidance counseling program specialist Nancy Richards, who said the district has about five counselors per high school who deal with substance abuse.

“We are looking forward to reviewing the plan in the district and working with the city for a drug-free community,” she said.

City Councilwoman Sally Anne Sheridan suggested that other county cities join in combatting teen-age alcohol use.

“This is definitely something we should be bringing up with the League of Cities, because it doesn’t just involve us,” she said. “If teens are going outside the city to purchase alcohol easily, then it is a topic that should be addressed.”

Staff Writer Sonni Efron contributed to this report