In its 10th annual back-to-school survey, the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University found that 62 percent of high school students and 28 percent of middle school students attend drug-infested schools -- up from 44 percent of high school students and 19 percent of middle school students in 2002.

"This means that some 10.6 million high schoolers and 2.4 million middle schoolers are likely returning to schools where they will find drugs are used, kept and sold," said Joseph A. Califano, Jr., CASA’s chairman and president and former US Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare.

He called for education officials in Washington and the states, cities and counties to apply equal energy to getting drugs out of schools as to raising test scores.

Morality, Parents, Health

Teen perceptions of immorality, parental disapproval and health concerns are far more powerful deterrents to smoking, drinking and drug use than legal restrictions on the purchase of cigarettes and alcohol, or the illegality of using drugs like marijuana, LSD, cocaine and heroin, the survey found.

Teens who believe marijuana use by someone their age is "not morally wrong" are more than 19 times likelier to use it than those who consider such use "seriously morally wrong," for example.

Those who say their parents would be "a little upset" or "not upset at all" if they used marijuana are six times likelier to try it than those whose parents would be "extremely upset."

Teens who consider marijuana "not too harmful" or "not harmful at all" are eight times likelier to try it than those who consider marijuana "very harmful" to the health of someone their age.

Deterrents to Alcohol, Cigarettes

Morality, parental attitude and health considerations are powerful influences on the likelihood of a teen drinking or smoking, as well.

Most teens -- 58 percent -- say that legal restrictions have no effect on their decision to smoke cigarettes. A similar proportion -- 54 percent -- are unfazed by legal restrictions on alcohol.

Nearly half -- 48 percent -- say that illegality has no effect on their decision to use marijuana, and 46 percent aren't deterred by legal concerns from using LSD, cocaine and heroin.

"Laws restricting smoking and drinking and making illegal the use of drugs like marijuana and cocaine play a significant role, but we must recognize that morality trumps illegality in deterring teen smoking, drinking and drug use," said Califano.

“Parent Power is the most effective way to discourage teen drug use," he maintained. "Most kids get their sense of morality from their parents. The message of the survey is loud and clear: Parents, you cannot outsource your role to law enforcement."

R-Rated Movie Link

This year’s survey also found that 43 percent of 12-to-17 year olds see three or more R-rated movies each month either in theaters or on home video. These teens are seven times likelier to smoke cigarettes, six times likelier to try marijuana and five times likelier to drink alcohol, compared to those who watch no R-rated movies in a typical month.

Another troubling finding in this year’s survey -- and one consistent with the sharp rise in students attending drug-infested schools -- is the increase in the number of teens who say that their friends and classmates use illegal drugs.

From 2004 to 2005, the percentage of teens who know a friend or classmate who has used drugs jumped significantly:

Environmental Effect

Teens who attend schools where drugs are used, kept or sold are three times likelier to try marijuana, more than three times likelier to get drunk in a typical month, and twice as likely to use alcohol than teens who attend drug-free schools.

Students attending high schools where drugs are used, kept or sold estimate that 44 percent of their schoolmates regularly use illegal drugs, compared to a 27 percent estimate by students in drug-free high schools.

Substance-abuse risk is nearly twice as high for students attending schools where smoking is permitted.

Nearly half of smaller high schools (fewer than 1,000 students) are reported to be drug free, compared to less than a third of larger high schools (1,000 or more students). Nearly three-quarters of smaller middle schools are reported to be drug free, compared to about half of larger middle schools.

Sex and Religion

Teens who say that more than half their friends are sexually active are nearly six times likelier to smoke, drink and use drugs.

The 10 percent of teens who say that more than half of their friends engage in casual sex (hooking up with someone other than a regular boy or girl friend) are nearly four times likelier to smoke, drink and use drugs.

One in three teens say that drugs are their biggest concern, but only slightly more than one in 10 parents rank drugs as their teen’s top concern.

Marijuana is reported by 23 percent of teens to be easier to buy than cigarettes or beer.

Forty-two percent of 12-to-17 year olds (11 million) can buy marijuana within a day, and 21 percent (5.5 million) can buy it in an hour or less.

Teens who attend religious services weekly are at half the risk of substance abuse as those who do not attend such services.