Binge drinking on rise among Montpelier students
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By Thatcher Moats Times Argus Staff - Published: May 6, 2010
MONTPELIER – Sixty percent of Montpelier High School seniors said they "binged on alcohol" at least once in the 30 days before taking a 2009 Youth Risk Behavior Survey.
That's up from 40 percent in the 2007 survey.
"Sixty percent?" exclaimed Montpelier School Board member Carolyn Herz at the board's meeting Wednesday night when she saw the figure projected on a screen. "I'm sorry. I'm just reacting."
(Bingeing on alcohol is defined as five or more drinks within a couple of hours).
The results of the most recent Youth Risk Behavior Survey, which students around the state take every two years, have prompted discussions among the Montpelier School Board and administration about what can be done to combat dangerous habits among students, including drinking alcohol and using drugs and tobacco.
The school board invited Kim Martin, the director of the Central Vermont New Directions Coalition, to present the survey results at the meeting last night.
The Central Vermont New Directions Coalition administers the Youth Risk Behavior Survey in the Montpelier and U-32 school districts. The survey has been done in Montpelier since 1995.
School officials seemed to agree that some of the numbers were pretty alarming, particularly among seniors.
Nearly 80 percent of Montpelier High School seniors responded that they had consumed at least one alcoholic drink in the 30 days before the survey.
"Wow," said school board chairman John Hollar when he saw that figure.
Principal Peter Evans said that almost all kids who are using drugs or alcohol are doing so on Friday and Saturday night and not while they're in school or during the school week, and several people pointed out it is an issue that the whole community needs to address.
"What can we do in the community to change that behavior?" Evans asked.
There were no quick answers last night, but Evans pointed out that the "perception piece" the community conveys to young people about what behavior is acceptable is key to shaping their habits.
"I think what we are conveying to kids is very powerful," he said.
Evans cited the Town Meeting Day non-binding resolution that Montpelier voters passed urging the Vermont Legislature to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana.
"They listen to that and that means something to them," he said.
Board member Sue Aldrich said on warm, summer days in Montpelier the smell of marijuana is not uncommon and she has had to explain what the smell is to kids.
"I find it very prevalent in nice weather in the summer in Montpelier," she said.
The discussion about risky behavior among students comes less than a month after police busted an underage drinking party in Montpelier, which Evans said involved bout 14 students from Montpelier High School. The incident led to the suspension of about seven students from athletic teams for violating the no-drinking policy, Evans said.
Some of the results of the survey were positive, or at least less shocking. For 10th graders, the drinking numbers went down, while marijuana use rose slightly. With eighth-graders, the binge drinking statistic rose just barely, while marijuana use was level.
But the numbers are enough of a concern that members of the community are convening a discussion next week to explore underage drinking issues. It's titled, "Prevent Underage Drinking: A panel and community discussion."
The panelists will be Mark Depman, who is the director of the department of emergency medicine at the Central Vermont Medical Center; Tony Facos, the Montpelier Police Chief; Chip Keinath, a Montpelier High School counselor; and Karlynn Koenemann, a community representative and mother of four.
The discussion will be Wednesday, May 12 at the Montpelier High School Library from 7 to 8:30 p.m.
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