Montpelier students who used marijuana prior to age 13 |
| Vermont ranked highest nationwide for marijuana use in a new survey released by the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration. Locally our youth data is mixed. Less students are
reporting using marijuana prior to age 13 than 14 years ago (source: Youth Risk Behavior Survey). |
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Montpelier students who used marijuana one or more times during the past 30 days |
| Montpelier student use of marijuana has decreased over the last 12 years especially among younger students. |
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Montpelier 2007 Youth Risk Behavior Survey Results
Every two years since 1985, the Department of Health Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Programs and the Department of Education Comprehensive School Health Programs have sponsored a survey of Vermont students. The Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) measures the prevalence of behaviors that contribute to the leading causes of death, disease, and injury among youth. In 2007, school staff administered the YRBS to 28,918 eight to twelfth grade Vermont students in 144 schools representing 60 supervisory unions.
Brief highlights from the Montpelier Supervisory School District results (8th -12th graders at Main Street Middle school and Montpelier High School) are presented here. Although we have plenty of work ahead of us, as a district we can be proud of the many good decisions students are making in the areas of tobacco, alcohol and other drug use.
Tobacco: The number of students who smoked cigarettes one or more days during the past 30 days dropped in almost all grades over the last 12 years, except for the 2006-2007 12th grade (33% in 1995 to 35% in 2007). The 10th grade (38% in 1995 to 21% in 2007) and 8th grade (26% in 1995 to 0% in 2007) decreased significantly. This indicates that local youth are smoking less.
Alcohol: The percentage of Montpelier 12th graders reporting to have used alcohol within the last 30 days has fluctuated between 61% in 1997 to 43% in 2001, and 59 % in 2007. We see the same fluctuation with the 10th graders reporting using alcohol within the last 30 days from 52% in 1995 to 45% in 2005 to 53% in 2007. But the percentage of 8th graders reporting using alcohol within the last 30 days has decreased from an alarming high of 42% in 1997 to 11% in 2005 and 8% in 2007. This indicates that the trend in alcohol use among younger students has decreased over the last twelve years but older student use has stayed relatively the same.
Click here for the full report (pdf).
U-32 Youth Risk Behavior Survey Results - 2007
In the spring of 2007, U-32 eighth-twelfth grade students participated in the Vermont Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS). This survey, which has been given every two years since 1985 by the Vermont Departments of Health and Education, is the standard for measuring student attitudes and behavior regarding tobacco, alcohol and other drug use, safety issues like wearing seat belts or riding in a car with a driver who is impaired because of alcohol or marijuana use, sexual behavior, and other risk and resiliency measures.
Tobacco: U-32 youth are smoking less. Since 1995, the number of students reporting they smoked cigarettes one or more days during the past 30 days dropped across all grade levels from a high of 41% among 10th graders in 1995 to 4% among 8th graders in 2007.
Alcohol: While the trend in alcohol use among younger students has decreased over the last twelve years, older student use has stayed the same, with over half of 11-12th grade students reporting using alcohol within the last 30 days. At 43%, males (average of 8-12th graders) report more use than females (39%). The percentage of 8th graders reporting using alcohol within the last 30 days has decreased from 32% in 1995 to 12% in 2007.
Forty percent of 11th graders (up from 29% in 2005) and 33% of 12th graders reported binge drinking (5 or more drinks of alcohol in a row within a couple of hours) during the past 30 days. Among students who drank alcohol during the past 30 days, 28% of females and 20% of males report getting their alcohol from home. Alcohol remains easily accessible and a relatively acceptable form of substance abuse among youth.
Click here for the full report (pdf). |
