As Figure 1 shows, rural students were slightly over represented. The 1993 survey also included approximately 5,000 students with disabilities and approximately 3,000 gifted students. The moderate to high abuse of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco has not decreased since the 1991 health survey. Increases in student use of gateway drugs from 1991 to 1993 can be observed across almost all ethnic groups. Blacks indicate the lowest levels of abuse of cigarettes and alcohol.
Whites indicate the lowest levels of abuse of drugs other than gateway drugs.
Eight factors commonly found to be positively related to adolescent drug abuse were identified and cross-tabulated. Not living with both natural parents Of these eight factors, skipping school, dislike of school, and low grades appear to be the most salient factors related to cigarette and alcohol abuse at both grade levels. Skipping school and no definite rules imposed by parents appear to be powerful factors related to marijuana abuse. Another risk factor is age of first use. Figure 3 suggests that generally gateway drug abuse rates are highest for those who first tried the drug before they were 15 years of age.