n compared to students in assigned public schools. Apparent differences in peer approval of alcohol were not significant (table 1).Students in the largest schools (1,000 or more students) reported the highest levels of peer approval of alcohol, marijuana, and other drugs. In these large schools, about 50 percent of the students said their friends at school approved of alcohol use, approximately 30 percent reported peer approval of marijuana use, and about 20 percent said that their friends approve of the use of other drugs (table 1).Alcohol and Drug Use at SchoolSchool Exposure to the use of alcohol or drugs other than alcohol at school could affect both the learning environment and students' opportunities to use drugs and also may be related to students' approval of alcohol and other drug use. Students were asked whether or not they had seen any students drunk or showing the effects of alcohol or any students high on other drugs at school this year. In this instance, "other drugs" includes marijuana. Youths were not expected to be able to discriminate among the effects of different drugs that other students might have taken. Approximately one-third of students (33 percent) reported seeing other students at their schools showing the effects of alcohol, while about one-quarter (27 percent) reported that other students were at school while high on drugs other than alcohol. It should be noted that use of alcohol or other drugs by a small minority may be observed by many other students. Results are presented in table 1.Differences in Student Reports of Alcohol and Drug Use at School by School and Student CharacteristicsStudents in the 6th through 8th grades were least likely to report seeing other students under the influence of alcohol (16 percent) or drugs other than alcohol (11 percent). In comparison, reports by students in the 9th and 10th grades were approximately three times greater than those by students in the 6th through 8th grade...
