Substance Abuse is Not the Norm among Local Youth, but it’s still too High!
Substance abuse among youth in Southwest Indiana is higher than the national average, but for most area youth, substance abuse is not the norm, according to the results of a survey released today by Youth First, Inc.
That’s why Youth First works with area schools, churches, and other community agencies to provide evidence-based approaches to prevent substance abuse and its associated risk factors. The Most of Us® model is one of those strategies, which the community will learn more about during a workshop tonight led by Dr. Jeff Linkenbach, an expert in the field of prevention.
The Most of Us approach uses positive community norms to reduce community problems like underage drinking.
"The latest survey shows our region’s youth have plenty of positive community norms to emphasize, with most choosing not to engage in alcohol, marijuana, or tobacco abuse," said Parri O. Black, President & CEO of Youth First, Inc. "By focusing on the positive, we hope to reduce the problem even more."
Youth First shared the results of a 2009 survey of over 6,000 8th, 10th and 12th graders attending schools in Vanderburgh and Warrick counties and the Catholic Diocese. The survey is administered by the Indiana Prevention Resource Center at Indiana University in cooperation with area schools (see attached charts).
Binge drinking is one of the problem behaviors tracked, and it is defined as consuming five or more alcoholic drinks in one setting within two weeks of taking the survey. Survey results indicate 11.4% of 8th graders, 19.7% of 10th graders and 30.1% of 12th graders engage in binge drinking.
"However, if we look at the problem in another way, the data can become part of the solution," explained Black. "Nearly 89% of 8th graders, over 80% of 10th graders and 70% of 12th graders are making the better choice and not binge drinking. When youth realize the true positive norm and parents and other adults reinforce it, teens are less likely to fall away from it."
Significantly fewer youth are reporting that they are involved in substance abuse than when Youth First started collecting data through the IPRC survey in 1999. Other indicators tracked by the bi-annual survey are daily and monthly alcohol, marijuana, and cigarette use, which are, for the most part, similar to statewide averages but higher than the national averages.
"By using the Science of the Positive and emphasizing positive community norms, we focus on the untold goodness in our youth," Dr. Linkenbach shared. "Our goal through the Most of Us model is to steer the conversation, so more youth embrace the healthy behaviors and attitudes that most of our youth already have. It takes the whole community to steer the conversation toward the positive norm rather than the negative misperceptions many of us may have about teens and alcohol."
The Most of Us workshop is sponsored by the Safe Schools Healthy Students Initiative of the Southwest Indiana Schools and Community Collaborative (SISCC), the Alcoa Foundation, and Youth First.
The collaborative’s mission is to promote, implement, and sustain lasting positive changes that support student success in the schools in Gibson, Posey, and Warrick Counties. More information may be found at www.sshs-siscc.org.
Youth First’s mission is to strengthen youth and families by providing evidence-based programs that prevent substance abuse, promote healthy behaviors, and maximize student success. For more information, contact Youth First at 812-421-8336 or visit this website: www.youthfirstinc.org.
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