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Wood County sees youth drug use fall
Abuse of some prescriptions increases

BOWLING GREEN - The use of cigarettes, alcohol, and marijuana by Wood County youths declined slightly over the last two years, mirroring trends in neighboring Lucas County.

A survey of fifth through 12th graders in Wood County's nine public school districts that was released yesterday contained no real surprises, according to Bill Ivoska, vice president of student services at Owens Community College and the author of the bi-annual study.

"The trends you see in Lucas County, you're seeing in Wood," he said.

Not all those trends are positive, though.

Abuse of prescription medication like Ritalin and Concerta among high school seniors increased from 10.4 percent in 2004 to 14.4 percent this year. The use of prescription painkillers like OxyContin, Demerol, Vicodin, and Percocet declined slightly in most age groups but remained at 21.3 percent for seniors in Wood County.

"They're probably using them because they're accessible. Mom and dad didn't throw them away when they were done using them," Mr. Ivoska said.

He said the 21.3 percent statistic is cause for concern. "That means one out of five kids is experimenting with a highly addictive painkiller," he said.

The other point of concern raised by the study is the slight increase in the use of cocaine.

And, while Wood County has been tracking alcohol and drug use among middle and high school students only since 2004, the results are consistent with what Lucas County has seen with cocaine use since it began surveying students in 1992.

About 6.4 percent of high school seniors in Wood County reported using cocaine in 2004. This year, that figure grew to 6.6 percent. In Lucas County, 2.9 percent of seniors reported using cocaine in 1992 and 6.7 percent this year.

"The point is that both counties were probably down in the low 2's [percent] in the 1990s, and it's going in the wrong direction," Mr. Ivoska said.

Despite the problem areas, health professionals were encouraged by signs that youths are smoking less, drinking less, and using marijuana less.

Larry Mershman, executive director of the Wood County Alcohol, Drug Addiction, and Mental Health Services Board, called the numbers "an encouraging decline."

He said studies have shown that education and prevention efforts have a direct impact on young people's use of drugs and alcohol, and the community must continue those efforts.

"While efforts to reduce use have been moderately successful over the trend line, we need to continue those efforts. Otherwise, it's like weeds in your yard: They'll just come back," Mr. Mershman said.