Survey: Nearly half of youth used alcohol in past month
Associated Press
Dec. 2, 2002 06:30 PM

Nearly half of Arizona's eighth-graders, high school juniors and seniors have used alcohol in the past month, a new survey indicates.

The survey of 12,203 students statewide found 46.4 percent reported using alcohol in the past month. More than 69 percent said they had used alcohol in their lifetime.

The survey, conducted in January and February by the Arizona Criminal Justice Commission, is required biennially under state law.

The report, released Monday, also indicated that more students have used marijuana in the past month than cigarettes.

Traditionally, cigarettes are the second most commonly used substance by youth. But the Arizona survey indicated that 20.5 percent of students reported using marijuana in the past month while 16.5 percent reported smoking a cigarette.

Students who reported using cigarettes regularly, however, were more common than regular marijuana users.

Another unusual finding of the study, the commission reports, is that female students in Arizona generally reported higher use rates of alcohol, cigarettes and inhalants than males students. Previously, males have tended to report higher substance use rates than females.