According to the group,"Parents Resource Institute for Drug Education" or "PRIDE" of Tuscaloosa, nearly 30 percent of teens smoke compared to 25 percent of teens in the rest of the state. More than 35 percent use alcohol compared to 31 percent of the rest of the state.
Tuscaloosa teens are drinking and smoking more than their peers across the state. Lois Palecek, the Tuscaloosa PRIDE director, calls the news disturbing.
Tuscaloosa PRIDE Director, Lois Palecek said, "We're above both the state and the national. That is unacceptable, we need to put protective factors around our youth, around our children, and give them the loving guidance that they need to make good decisions."
Survey participants indicated it's fairly easy to get both cigarettes and alcohol.
Palecek said, "Also they get it from friends, and they get it from homes that are unsupervised."
PRIDE is working on a community coalition, a grassroots effort, to include everyone from parents, to law enforcement, teachers and students to turn the trend around.
Palecek said, "Everyday a new student comes of age, we have to be constant with our prevention method, we have to be constant with putting those protective factors around those students we can't let up."
It's not all bad news. The majority of Tuscaloosa teens, don't smoke, drink or use illegal substances.
Palecek said, "The majority of kids are good kids, we need to celebrate and support those kids, in addition to that reach out to those who are using substances."
The goal is as it's always been - to get more to see what the majority don't do - smoke and drink.
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