Kentucky high school students are getting smarter about drinking and drugs, but teen violence is on the rise, according to the most recent Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey.
The survey " conducted by the federal Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta " looked at six categories of health behavior among Kentucky teens including alcohol and drug use, injury and violence, tobacco use, nutrition, physical activity and sexual activities.
The one risk behavior to increase since 2003 is the injury and violence category. Almost a quarter of students say they've carried a weapon in the last month, up from 18.5 percent in 2003. More alarming, more than 8 percent say they've been threatened or injured with a weapon, up from 5 percent in 2003.
Franklin County Public Schools Superintendent Harrie Lynne Buecker said there haven't been a lot of problems locally with weapons, but bullying is a major concern.
"We're focusing a lot on trying to address the issue of bullying," Buecker said.
She said there have been parent forums, group counseling and student education on how to appropriately handle bullying.
Buecker said Franklin County High School Youth Service Coordinator Adam Rogers is involved in programs for at-risk students, such as visiting prisons to teach students about negative life choices.
Students have visited the Kentucky State Reformatory and listened to inmates talk about the consequences of poor decisions.
Rogers said students, "really left there with something to think about."
Otherwise, the survey reports a decrease in "negative behavior" since the 2003 survey in all other categories.
The number of students who say they have tried alcohol at least once decreased 5 percent, while students who say they drank five or more drinks in a row fell 5.7 percent.
Marijuana statistics showed the greatest decrease in the drug and alcohol category, with 35 percent of students saying they have tried marijuana at least once, down from 43.3 percent in 2003. There was also a significant decrease in the number of students who say they have used the drug in the past 30 days.
Jill Sutton, director of the Family Resource and Youth Service Center at Second Street School, said the frequency and magnitude of anti-drug and alcohol programs being offered to students may be the reason for the decrease.
Sutton pointed to the work of the Franklin County Health Department, DARE, MADD and other programs as a reason for the drop in dangerous behavior by area teens.
Buecker said there are several programs in county schools to discourage drinking and drugs. She said the county is currently encouraging students to take part in Project Graduation, which provides students with a drug-free environment after prom.
"When you have almost all of the senior class in one place with no alcohol or drugs, that's got to be a positive thing," Buecker said.
Tobacco use has also significantly dropped, according to the survey. The 62.2 percent of students who say they have tried tobacco once is down almost 10 percent, from 71.1 in 2003.
The study found there were no significant changes in the nutrition, physical activity or sexual behavior categories.
The CDC's full report will be made available to the public mid-summer 2008.