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The youth drug survey by Substance Abuse Prevention Services of the Carolinas also tracked trends in smoking and drinking.
Results showed that, compared to previous surveys, cigarette smoking, marijuana use and alcohol consumption declined overall. More than 4,000 Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools students in grades six through 12 participated.
But binge drinking is on the rise.
Of the 14 percent of teens who indicated they had drunk alcohol in the previous 30 days, 38 percent of those said they had five or more drinks in a short time. In 2006, 32.5 percent of teens who drank reported binge drinking.
“Binge drinking leads to dangerous behavior,” said Dr. Paul Friday, a UNC Charlotte criminal justice professor who organized and analyzed the data. The survey also found kids who were binge drinkers were more likely to live with lax parental restrictions against alcohol or drug use, Friday said.
“Parental attitude and expectations do have an impact on youth behavior,” he said.
The survey is conducted about every two years. The current results were from a survey conducted in 2008.
Officials are also concerned about numbers of students who reported drinking at home and alone. Of the 14 percent who reported drinking in the previous 30 days, 10.5 percent drank at home and alone.
Even more alarming, 4.7 percent of the drinkers were in middle school; 20 percent of those kids reported that they drank at home and alone.
The percentage of eighth graders and seniors who smoked cigarettes or marijuana crept above national numbers for the first time this year, which local officials say alerts them to be aware of those transition periods in students' lives.
“Looking cool” and “dealing with school pressures and stress” are the top two reasons students surveyed cited for using drugs or drinking alcohol.
This year's survey reported an overall decrease in so-called gateway drug use; the 2006 survey had shown a spike from 2004.
“This really shows me that prevention efforts, collectively, are working,” Harrill said of gateway drugs, which include marijuana, alcohol and cigarettes. “This is the lowest it's been since the early 2000s.”
Researchers and prevention agencies use the youth drug survey to identify target audiences for substance-abuse prevention programs.
“We really want to create a safe environment for our kids to grow up in and give them skills for healthy living,” Harrill said.
