CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. — Some of the questions on the Georgia Student Health Survey have angered parents in Cherokee County.
The anonymous survey, designed to collect information about a variety of topics, including alcohol, tobacco, and nutrition, was given to sixth- to twelfth-grade students.
Survey question examples:
- Do you think marijuana is harmful?
- What age did you start using alcohol, cocaine, steroids, ecstasy, etc.?
- Have you used alcohol in the past 30 days?
- Have you participated in illegal gang activities in the past 30 days?
- Have you been bullied in the past 30 days?
"If they go digging around to find out what meth is and find it in the wrong area, and their parents have not properly educated them on the topic, who is to say they'll be peer pressured into actually doing that particular drug?" Altman said.
Petersen says the Cherokee County Board of Education said parents get a heads up about the survey and can opt out. That's what Altman did for her son, but she says some of her friends were never informed that they could opt out.