The following charts illustrate the demographics of student survey respondents from Cobb County School District. Graphs that follow illustrate a comparison of excerpted alcohol related survey questions and student response rates from Cobb County School District and all schools in Georgia. For the complete survey report, check out the following link The Georgia Student Health Survey is administered through the internet to students in grades 6, 8, 10, and 12 every year during the month of October. This section of the 2008 survey will serve as baseline data and comparison for 2009 for the Cobb Alcohol Taskforce and future survey results will become part of our evaluation data and 2009 Georgia Student Health Survey II Excerpts Prepared for the Cobb Alcohol Taskforce by Jeff Inman, Coordinator Cobb Safe and Drug Free Schools

Demographics

Cobb 6 th, 8 th and 12 th grades show a decrease in students’ past 30 day use of alcohol, from 2008 to Cobb 10 th grades show a 3% increase.

Age of first use GeorgiaCobb Age

Cobb 6 th, 8 th and 12 th grades show an increase in students’ belief that alcohol is harmful, from 2008 to Cobb 10 th grades show a decrease.

Generally the perception of peer disapproval of alcohol use decreases with age. Cobb 6 th, 8 th and 12 th grades show increases, from 2008 to Cobb 10 th grades show a 6% decrease.

Adults disapproval of student alcohol use remains fairly consistent.

Generally students’ belief that alcohol is easy to get increases with age. Cobb 6 th and 10 th grades show increases from 2008 to Cobb 8 th and 12 th grades show decreases from 2008 to 2009.

Cobb 12 th grade show a 8% decrease in binge drinking, from 2008 to 2009.

Georgia 10 th and 12 th grades show dramatic increases (16% and 20%) in weekend alcohol use, from 2008 to Cobb 10 th grade show a 6% increase and 8 th and 12 th grades show decreases in weekend alcohol use, from 2008 to 2009.

Cobb 10 th and 12 th grades show more students’ use alcohol at a friends house than Georgia 10 th and 12 th grade students, in 2008 and 2009.

Georgia and Cobb 10 th grade report same rate of peer use of alcohol at home. Cobb 12 th grade report higher rates of peer use of alcohol at home than Georgia 12 th grade, in 2008 and 2009.

Generally students’ use of alcohol in a car is far less than at a friend’s house or at their own home. Cobb 10 th grades show a 4% increase in students’ use of alcohol in a car, from 2008 to 2009.

No significant changes.

Survey Limitations Convenience survey methodology Sample size changes each year Not necessarily following same students over time Trends may be more meaningful using 2 yr. comparisons