Alcohol was the most widely abused substance; 49 percent of seniors, 39 percent of juniors, 37 percent of sophomores and 30 percent of freshmen said they had used alcohol in the past month.

12 percent of ninth-graders had smoked in the past month, along with 19 percent of 10th graders, 17 percent of 11th graders and 22 percent of 12th graders.

Surveys conducted every two years since 1997 have shown a steady decline in alcohol and drug use among Michigan high school students, consistent with national trends.

A comprehensive statewide survey set to kick off as a pilot program this year will allow Michigan school districts to know what their students are smoking, toking, drinking -- and doing in the back seat.

The study, the Michigan Profile for Healthy Youth, comes amid increased worry among parents. Overdose deaths from Birmingham to Livonia have parents seeking action from schools or setting up drug task forces.

What the kids are doing is they're going to downtown Detroit, they're going elsewhere to get it," said Judee Taormina, whose daughter attends Stevenson High in Livonia. "Heroin is the drug of the moment."

The $2.15 million federally funded survey will allow each district to know the extent of drugs, smoking, alcohol, sex, bullying, eating habits and seat belt use among students. Parents could use the results to compare districts.

Michigan was one of 11 states selected in 2004 for the survey that was tested in 24 districts last year and will be launched as a pilot in another 40 this year, including Allen Park, L'Anse Creuse and Taylor. It becomes fully operational in the state's 500-plus districts by 2008.

Some wish the survey could have come sooner. An epidemic of heroin spiked with the powerful painkiller fentanyl killed 133 Metro Detroit users from September to July, including 17-year-old Groves High School junior Lauren Jolly of Bloomfield Township.

In Livonia, rumors are rampant after an apparent overdose death Aug. 13 of a 16-year-old junior at Stevenson. An autopsy hasn't confirmed the cause of death. It followed the drug death of a 17-year-old former student in April.

A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study found that heroin use among Michigan teens has remained steady at 4 percent since 1999. The study found use of alcohol and other drugs declined.

"Some districts seem to think that if there's a problem, they're going to get blamed for it," Fockler said. "And there are districts that don't survey because they don't want to know."

Guerrant said parents who really want to know could request results through Michigan's Freedom of Information Act. The department hopes more districts will become willing to share their results. "It's a taboo we're trying to break down by letting the districts know it's not their fault, and it's up to the community to deal with it," Guerrant said.

The Northville district has participated in the WMU survey for 12 years and has always made the results available, Superintendent Leonard Rezmierski said.

"If you had your druthers, you want to talk about good MEAP scores and award-winning students," Rezmierski said. "But it's the true story of what we're all about and the problems our students face."

Birmingham mom Laurie Wallace said she craves insight into what her 10-year-old daughter will face as she enters the preteen years, which are rife with peer pressure and temptation.

This is cache, read story here