WILMINGTON, MA – At its meeting last week, the Wilmington School Committee was given a report summarizing the results of the Youth Risk Behavior Survey that was administered to Wilmington 7th-11th graders last spring.
IMPORTANT NOTES: Students answered the questions anonymously during a single class period. Parents were able to opt their children out – few did. Invalid responses (e.g., blatant lying) were not included in the results. Questions varied between the high school and middle schools surveys, in part, because the high school survey was based on the national version and the middle school survey was based on the Massachusetts version.
The report was divided into SEVEN sections. Below is a summary (of the summary) of the section on alcohol, tobacco and other drug use.
HIGH SCHOOL RESULTS (509 9th, 10th, and 11th graders surveyed)
Last year’s 9th, 10th and 11th graders reported the following LIFETIME usage:
- 53.5% have used alcohol at least once
- 38.7% have used electronic vapor products at least once
- 30.3% have used marijuana at least once
- 18.3% have used cigarettes at least once
- 6.7% have used synthetic marijuana at least once
- 3.4% have used ecstasy at least once
- 3.2% have used cocaine at least once
- 2.6% have used heroin at least once
- 1.8% have used meth at least once
Last year’s 9th, 10th and 11th graders reported the following usage in the past 30 days of taking the survey, giving an accurate measure of CURRENT usage:
- 32.2% have used alcohol in the past 30 days
- 19.7% have used electronic vapor products in the past 30 days
- 18.6% have used marijuana in the past 30 days
- 16.6% have binge drinked (at least 5 drinks in a row) in the past 30 days
- 13.1% have used cigars, cigarillos, or little cigars in the past 30 days
- 5.7% have used cigarettes in the past 30 days
- 4.9% have used smokeless tobacco in the past 30 days
- 3.0% have used inhalants in the past 30 days
17.0% of last year’s 9th, 10th and 11th graders reported being offered, sold or given an illegal drug on school property in the past 12 months.
12.6% of last year’s 9th, 10th and 11th graders reported riding in a car driven by someone who had been drinking alcohol in the past 30 days. 7.2% reported that they, themselves, drove after drinking alcohol in the past 30 days.
Many of these numbers, while very alarming, are actually LOWER than the state and national averages. (These numbers were included in the presentation, but not the report.)
- Alcohol: While 32.2% of those WHS students surveyed reported alcohol use in the past 30 days, that number is 34.8% nationally and 35.6% statewide.
- Binge Drinking: While 16.6% of those WHS students surveyed reported binge drinking in the past 30 days, that number is 18.9% statewide and 20.8% nationally.
- Cigarettes: While 5.7% of those WHS students surveyed reported cigarette use in the past 30 days, that number is 10.7% stateside and 15.7% nationally.
- Marijuana: While 18.6% of those WHS students surveyed reported marijuana use in the past 30 days, that number is 23.4% nationally and 24.8% statewide.
The full high school report can be read HERE. The alcohol, tobacco and drug usage is discussed from pages 7-20.
MIDDLE SCHOOL RESULTS (481 7th and 8th graders surveyed)
Last year’s 7th and 8th graders reported the following LIFETIME usage:
- 24.8% have used vapor products at least once
- 21.8% have used alcohol at least once
- 10.4% have used marijuana at least once
- 9.4% have used cigarettes at least once
- 4.4% have used inhalants at least once
- 4.2% have used prescription drugs not prescribed to them
- 2.7% have used cocaine at least once
- 2.7% have used steroids at least once
Last year’s 7th and 8th graders reported the following usage in the past 30 days of taking the survey, giving an accurate measure of CURRENT usage:
- 12.9% have used vapor products in the past 30 days
- 3.1% have used cigars, cigarillos, or little cigars in the past 30 days
- 2.3% have used cigarettes in the past 30 days
- 2.1% have used smokeless tobacco in the past 30 days
The full middle school report can be read HERE. The alcohol, tobacco and drug usage is discussed from pages 5-16.
Watch last week’s Wilmington School Committee Meeting below, courtesy of Wilmington Community Television. The presentation on the survey results begins at the 20:45 mark.
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