NEW ROCHELLE, NY — A survey of New Rochelle public school students, administered in the spring of 2009 and 2010 to students in grades 6th, 8th, 10th, and 12th, shows a level of marijuana use that is significantly above the national average for high school students. In 2010, 36% of New Rochelle High School seniors said they smoked marijuana in the past 30 days.
The level of use of most other drugs was lower although the use of inhalants among middle school students was well above the national average.
Compared to national findings, students in all grades reported similar low rates of past 30-day inhalant use. From 2009 to 2010, 30-day inhalant use decreased in 8th graders.
The survey also measures the prevalence of use for a variety of other drugs including the use of methamphetamine, cocaine, LS D/Psychedelics, heroin, and ecstasy. Nationally, the prevalence rates of these other drugs are generally lower than the rates for alcohol, tobacco, marijuana and inhalants. Students in New Rochelle City School District reported relatively little use of these other drugs. Specifically, no more than 2.8% of students indicated use of methamphetamine, cocaine, LSD/Psychedelics, heroin, or ecstasy during their lifetimes.
In addition to questions regarding illicit drug use, youth were asked about prescription drug use and over-the-counter drug use in order to get high. Past 30-day use of prescription drugs and over-the-counter drug use rate was low across grades as was the trend in 2009. National data is currently not available regarding these two types of drugs.
The Communities That Cares Youth Survey found that compared to national findings, 8th graders reported a similar rate of past 30-day marijuana use and 10th and 12th graders reported a higher rate of use. From 2009 to 2010, 30-day marijuana use decreased in 10th graders, but increased in 12th graders.
The Communities That Cares Youth Survey was administered in the spring of 2009 and 2010 to students in grades 6th, 8th, 10th, and 12th in the City School District of New Rochelle to measure substance use, delinquency and other problem behaviors in adolescents such as drug use and antisocial behaviors.
In 2009, there were 2,249 students and in 2010, there were 2,267 students who completed valid survey. In 2010, there were 651 students in 6th grade, 688 students in 8th grade, 524 students in 10th grade and 404 students in 12th grade who completed the surveys with half (50%) being male and half being female. The majority of the students identified themselves as Hispanic/Latino (35%), with the next largest group being White (27%) followed by African American (19%), Other/Multiple (16%), and Asian (3%).
Talk of the Sound recently obtained several reports and other documents related to School Safety and Security in the New Rochelle school system from the period 2009 to 2012. Some are low quality photocopies. We will present several of them over the coming weeks.
We are publishing data on the use of alcohol, cigarettes, marijuana, inhalants, other drugs, antisocial behavior (physical fights on school property, being drunk or high at school, attacking someone with intent to harm, selling drugs), feeling unsafe at school and gang involvement.
To the best of our knowledge these annual reports were never shared with the public.
