Survey Finds Alcohol Use Among Students on Rise
A survey of Altadena and Pasadena youth shows that alcohol use among elementary, middle and high school students has increased from two years ago, and that, among ninth-graders, marijuana and tobacco use has increased significantly.
The survey was conducted last summer by USC, which interviewed more than 2,000 students in 16 public and private schools in Pasadena and Altadena.
A team lead by USC researcher Luanne Rohrbach talked to students every two years for the last several years about their attitudes about drug and alcohol use.
The survey was sponsored by Day One, a group concerned about the effects of drugs on youth.
Some encouraging news was included in the survey, which showed that, among local 12th-graders, marijuana use is no longer on the rise, although it remains above the national average. Also, use of inhalants and LSD among seventh-graders decreased, the survey showed.
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