Drugs, Bullies, Gangs: How are Arizona’s school children handling the heavy issues?

A new survey of 57,000 Arizona students in eighth, tenth, and twelfth grades reports that, overall, use of alcohol and cigarettes are down, marijuana use is up slightly, and gang membership is “among the highest risk factors, if not the highest, for students in all grade levels.”

BY THE NUMBERS

Pot use up 14.2% from 13.6%

Alcohol use down 22.4% from 24.1%

Smoking down 9.2% from 9.4%

The report, released Tuesday, Dec. 20, is the 2016 Arizona Youth Survey and was conducted by the Arizona Criminal Justice Commission (ACJC), in collaboration with Arizona State and the University of Chicago. Produced every two years, it asked questions about substance abuse, including alcohol, tobacco and other dangerous drugs, and includes questions concerning other risky behavior such as bullying, violence and gambling.

“The Arizona Youth Survey is an invaluable tool for those of us who work in the field of prevention,” said Yavapai County Attorney Shelia Polk, the vice chair of the ACJC. “It helps us identify factors that put our youth at their most vulnerable and assists in designing programs to help every child succeed.”

Noting that the survey showed that 54.6 percent “of our high school seniors think there is no harm in trying marijuana,” she said, “that is concerning to me. When perception of risk goes down, kids are more likely to try (it).”

Students’ overall attitudes on drug use were varied. While most saw it as “wrong,” their feelings about whether it was risky came in at “moderate to slight.”

Some key findings:

• Marijuana use in the past 30 days was reported at 14.2 percent, an increase from the 13.6 percent who reported using marijuana in 2014.

• Alcohol use in the past 30 days is down again this survey period. In 2016, 22.4 percent of youth reported drinking alcohol in the past 30 days, a decline from 24.1 percent in 2014.

• Cigarette smoking in the past 30 days: 9.2 percent of youth reported this in 2016; 9.4 percent reported it in 2014.

• Prescription pain relievers used in the past 30 days was up. It was reported at 6.4 percent for 2016; this is an increase over the 4.7 percent reported in 2014.

• Bullying on school property: When asked how often during the past 12 months they had seen bullying on school property, 38.9 percent of those surveyed said they have seen bullying on school property at least once, and about 16 percent had seen bullying four or more times.

The survey noted that there are “protective factors” as well. “On average, youth responded that they each had an average of two best friends who had participated in positive activities in the past year. Participating in clubs, committing to staying drug free, trying to do well in and liking school are all positive attitudes and behaviors for youth,” it stated.

Also tabulated were “lifetime use” statistics, which report whether students said they had ever used various substances. Among eighth-graders, 29 percent said they had used alcohol and 22.4 percent said they had smoked an e-cigarette.

Twelfth-grade students reported that 60.4 percent had tried alcohol and 42 percent had used marijuana at least once.

Polk said she sees two takeaways in the survey results:

• “Talk to your kids about the harms of drugs and alcohol.” Over half of every age group said that their parents did not talk to them about the dangers of drugs and alcohol. “Experts tell us the number one prevention tool is parents talking to our children,” she said.

• “We need to teach kids how to effectively deal with stress,” she continued. “High percentages of students report they use drugs and alcohol to deal with stress and to not feel sad.”

Full survey at: http://www.azcjc.gov/ACJC.Web/Pubs/Home/2016_Arizona_Youth_Survey_State_Report.pdf


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