Fewer Vt. teens see danger in cigs, pot
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By SUSAN ALLEN STAFF WRITER - Published: November 27, 2009
Fewer young Vermonters recognize the dangers of smoking cigarettes and marijuana than in the past, according to the Vermont Health Department's 2009 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, which was released this week.
The survey of about 11,000 students in grades eight through 12 found that 67 percent "perceived great risk of harm" from smoking tobacco, compared to 72 percent in 2007. Forty-two percent of students perceived great risk of harm from regular marijuana use, compared to 51 percent in 2007.
While the actual rate of student smoking continues to fall – peaking at 38 percent in 1995 and dropping to 16 percent in 2009 — health officials worry that the shift in attitude today could drive actual usage higher in the near future.
"We're concerned that the more favorable attitudes could be leading in the wrong directions," said Barbara Cimaglio, deputy commissioner for alcohol and drug abuse programs.
Marijuana use in Vermont remains among the highest in the nation, with 22 percent of students reporting that they smoked marijuana in the past 30 days, holding steady since 2005.
Cimaglio noted that alcohol use has also held steady, with 36 percent reporting consumption in the previous 30 days. About 20 percent reported they binged or had five or more drinks.
She said kids need to understand that these behaviors cause problems down the road, including legal problems, addictions, academic struggles, safety issues and overall health challenges.
"I think this is an area where Vermont always comes up high in adult use of alcohol and drug use," Cimaglio said. "I think it's an area that we've struggled with. I just don't think the young people see if I smoke marijuana today, they don't see that in the long term that could lead to some problems."
Among the positive findings, over 83 percent of students wear seat belts when riding in a car, up from 63 percent in 1999.
And the percentage of students who have driven after drinking dropped slightly — 15 percent of 12th graders in 2007, down to 13 percent in 2009. That marks a steady decline since 1997. Boys were more likely to drive after drinking than girls, the survey found.
The percentage of students riding with a driver who had been drinking alcohol, which had dropped steadily from 1995 to 1999, has since remained fairly unchanged. About 23 percent of kids reported riding with a driver who has been drinking in the past 30 days.
Also important, Cimaglio noted, were the number of kids – 89 percent – who have a parent or adults in their lives "they can turn to for help."
"That's great," she said, adding that many also have meals with their parents regularly. "That's really important."
Among the findings, it appears that more youth are engaging in sexual activity than in past years, with 40 percent of respondents saying they have had sex, up from 37 percent two years ago and 34 percent in 2001. Among the high school seniors, 66 percent said they have had sex, up from 62 percent two years ago. About 15 percent of 8th graders reported being sexually active.
Another troubling finding was a slight decline in physical activity among young people at all the grade levels. About 24 percent of the youth indicated they had participated in 60 minutes of physical activity daily in the past seven days, down from 26 percent two years ago. That alone doesn't appear statistically alarming, yet more kids are spending three or more hours a day watching television or playing on a computer (38 percent this year, up from 36 percent in 2007), and 26 percent are overweight or obese – up from 23 percent in 1999.
In a similar area, fewer youth report participating in clubs and other extracurriculars (outside sports, however).
In other areas, the survey found:
27 percent of youth reported being in a physical fight in the past year, steady since 2007 and down slightly since 1997, when 31 percent reported fighting. Eighth graders were more likely to have been in a fight than older students.
5 percent of students did not go to school in the past 30 days because they didn't feel safe; 9 percent said they had carried a weapon to school; and 6 percent had been threatened or injured with a weapon on school property – the same as reported two years ago.
7 percent reported being physically hurt by a boyfriend or girlfriend in past year, with 5 percent forced to have sexual intercourse – also the same as reported in 2007.
Females were significantly more likely to have been electronically bullied through internet chat rooms, etc., in past year – 19 percent girls versus 10 percent boys.
Fewer students are wearing bicycle safety helmets now than in 2007 (females are more likely to wear a helmet than males).
In the past 12 months, 21 percent of students reported feeling sad or hopeless almost every day for two straight weeks, 9 percent made a suicide plan, and 2 percent had a suicide attempt that required medical attention. Those percentages are actually down since 1995, however.
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