Schools

Study: Drug Use Among EG Teens Lower, But Alcohol Higher

More than 10 percent of EG teens report they drank alcohol six or more times in the past 30 days.

According to a study released last week by Brown University, East Greenwich high schoolers are less likely than students in other parts of the state to use drugs, but are above the average for “moderate drinking.”

Moderate drinking, according to the survey, is drinking alcohol six or more times in a month.

“We’re number two in terms of moderate drinking,” said EG’s drug counselor Bob Houghtaling. “There are still kids who have drinking parties and they don’t think it’s a big deal.”

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East Greenwich and Newport share the same percentage, behind Cranston.

He continued, “We’ve got a cultural thing there that we have to look at – adolescent alcohol use and attitudes towards drinking. Kids don’t think it’s a big deal and adults sometimes wink at it but it can produce some really dangerous results.”

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Conversely, among middle school students, East Greenwich ranks among the lowest for moderate drinking, at 0.6 percent – only Cumberland and North Smithfield scored lower.

Here's the rundown for East Greenwich (based on state Dept. of Education Survey Works! survey results):

Middle School

Prescription drug use: 1.1 percent of students (at the bottom in Rhode Island)

Marijuana use: 1.3  percent (bottom)

Inhalent use: 1.1 percent (third from bottom)

Other illegal drug use: 0.6 (third from bottom)

Alcohol use (ever): 8.6 percent (fourth from the bottom)

Alcohol use at school: 0.8 percent (second from bottom)

Current alcohol use: 2.7 percent (fourth from bottom)

Moderate alcohol use: 0.6 percent (third from bottom)

Ever smoked : 3.2 percent

current smoker: 1 percent

Fights at school: 5 percent (fifth from bottom)

Weapons at school: 10.9 percent (seventh from bottom)

Skipped school in past year: 7.9 percent (tied with Jamestown for lowest)

Depression: 20.8 percent (seventh from bottom)

High School:

Prescription drug use, ever tried w/o prescription: 10.3 percent (ninth from bottom)

Current prescription drug use (past 30 days): 6.3 percent (14th from bottom)

Marijuana use, ever tried: 28.4 percent (fifth from bottom)

Current marijuana use (past 30 days): 17.8 perent (13th from bottom)

Inhalent use, ever tried: 4.9 percent (eighth from bottom)

Cocaine use, ever tried: 4.9 percent (sixth from bottom)

Other drug use: 8 percent (13th from bottom)

On drugs at school (during past year): 10.6 percent (10th from bottom)

Got illegal drugs at school, past year: 10.4 percent (14th from bottom)

Alcohol, ever: 43.5 percent (12th from bottom)

Alcohol at school: 9.5 percent (13th from bottom)

Current alcohol use: 30.6 percent (10th)

Moderate alcohol use: 10.3 percent (second)

Heavy alcohol use: 5.3 percent (16th from bottom)

Ever smoked: 19 percent (14th from bottom)

Current smoker: 9.4 percent (18th from bottom)

Fights at school: 7.7 percent (eighth from bottom)

Weapons at school: 15.9 percent (15th from bottom)

Skipping class: 22.3 percent (16th from bottom)

Depression: 21.8 percent (sixth from bottom)



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