On average, Madison young people have their first drink at 13.4 years (which is above the national average). Reducing youth substance abuse requires knowledge, self-awareness, and parents and a community that will provide young people with the developmental assets they need for success.

It also requires a conversation.

"We want to change that conversation, to change the community's approach and the culture. So many efforts focus on the negatives. We want to increase the positives. Experience shows us that if the positives are increased kids will not use drugs, will get better grades, and will be healthier."

Meet Laurie Ruderfer, the project coordinator for Madison's communitywide effort to address the issues of alcohol and drug use among Madison's teens. Ruderfer and the Madison Alcohol and Drug Education Coalition (MADE) want to rethink, redirect, and reevaluate Madison's approaches to drug- and alcohol- use prevention.

An initial step in this effort will be a teen survey. The 160-question survey will be given to students in grades 7 through 12 on Oct. 15. The survey will be administered during the school day following specific guidelines for security so that each student remains anonymous. The results of the survey will provide a snapshot of teen life, attitudes, and behavior. The survey will be

administered by teachers and the aggregate data in the survey will be anonymous.

The survey has been developed and will be analyzed by the Search Institute, an independent, non-profit organization based in Minnesota whose mission is to provide leadership, knowledge, and resources to promote healthy lifestyles among youth.

"We chose the Search Institute because it has been doing this work for decades. The survey will include the questions we want to ask," Ruderfer said.

In addition to questions about possible drug and alcohol use, she explained, there will be a series of questions measuring developmental assets "and how a teen feels about himself or herself."

Developmental assets, Ruderfer explained, "Are those relationships, experiences, values, attitudes, and attributes that every young person needs for success. The more developmental assets young people experience, the less likely they are to engage in alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use."

The survey hopes to discover how young people view their families and community, which are their developmental assets.

What are developmental

assets? Ruderfer defined internal assets as "qualities that families and communities nurture," such as caring about others' feelings, commitment to learning, and positive self-esteem. External assets are the positive experiences that surround young people and this is where the broader community steps into the picture-schools, churches, sports teams, scout troops, and youth organizations, for example.

The results of the survey will be shared with parents, students, and the schools and also with the larger community "so we are all cognizant of the issues and concerns facing our youth," Ruderefer said. Results of the survey will also shed light on the number or young people refraining from, and engaging in, risky behavior.

Working with a consultant, MADE will compare the data

received from the Search Institute with the results from the spring 2009 parent survey to which more than 600 parents

responded. By comparing that data, Madison will begin to

develop an accurate portrayal of teen behavior and the

community's perceptions of that behavior.

In an open letter to parents and the community, MADE said its coalition will act as a catalyst "to raise awareness and bring our community together to ensure that all youth receive consistent messages and response to risky behavior. Working closely with the various sectors of our

community, MADE will work to ensure that Madison teens know they are valued and important members of our community and that the choices they make

impact not only themselves but those around them."