WILMINGTON, MA – Wilmington School Superintendent Mary DeLai published her weekly blog post yesterday, tackling the difficult issue of student substance use. DeLai summarized the district’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey results as it relates to student drug and alcohol use; explained how parents need to play a role in educating, monitoring and disciplining their children regarding drug and alcohol use; and detailed some of the steps the school district is taking to combat student substance use. DeLai invites all Wilmington parents to the first of several parent education workshops (“Combating Underage Substance Use and Abuse”) this Tuesday, November 10 at 7pm in the Middle School Auditorium. Read her post, in its entirety, below:
As many parents and families are aware, a few weeks ago we released the results of the Youth Risk Behavior Survey administered last spring. Based on comments posted in response to my blog post on the Survey results and those shared at the recent Community Forum on Substance Abuse at St. Thomas Church, parents are clearly alarmed by the results around students’ substance use behaviors and attitudes. Some of these key results are presented below. As a reminder, High School results are for students in Grades 9-11 and Middle School results for Grades 7-8.
- 53.5% of High School students report having used alcohol at least once in their lifetime
- 30.3% of High School students report having used marijuana at least once in their lifetime
- 6.7% of High School students report having used synthetic marijuana at least once
- 3.4% of High School students have used Ecstasy, 3.2% cocaine, 2.6% heroin, and 1.8% methamphetamine
- 32.2% of High School students report that they drank alcohol within the past 30 days with 16.6% reporting they engaged in binge drinking in the past month
- 18.6% of High School students report having used marijuana in the past 30 days
- 17% of High School students report having been offered, sold, or given an illegal drug on school property in the past year
- 4% of High School students report having had at least one drink on 100 or more days in their lifetime
- 11.2% of High School students report that they had their first drink at age 12 or younger with 4.4% at age 10 or younger
- 7.2% of High School students report having used marijuana 100 or more times in their lifetime
- 6.6% of High School students say they began using marijuana at age 12 or earlier
- 1.2% of High School students report having used heroin 40 or more times in their lifetime
- 24.2% of Middle School students report having used alcohol at least once in their lifetime
- 10.4% of Middle School students report having used marijuana at least once in their lifetime
- 4.2% of Middle School students report having taken a prescription drug that was not their own
- 2.7% of Middle School students report having used cocaine at least once
- 6.5% of Middle School students reported that they had their first drink of alcohol (more than just a few sips) at the age of 10 or younger; 4.6% report it was at the age of 8 or younger
- 2.7% of Middle School students report that they first used marijuana at the age of 10 or younger; 1.9% report it was at the age of 8 or younger
We all know that the adolescent brain lacks the same connections of the adult brain. Physical changes to the adolescent brain, including those caused by use of alcohol and drugs, are more long lasting than those to the adult brain. The developing brain is also far more susceptible to dependence and injury. In addition, the smaller body size means a much lower tolerance for alcohol and drugs leading to a far greater risk of overdose. Research clearly shows that individuals who use substances prior to the age of 18 have a much greater chance of developing a substance use disorder later in life. For those with a substance abuse disorder, 75% first used prior to the age of 18. Only 4% of those with substance use disorder first used after the age of 18. In Massachusetts, most recent surveys indicate that approximately 24,000 youth age 12-17 met the criteria for drug dependence / abuse; only 12.5% were receiving treatment. The remaining 21,000 are in need of treatment and are presenting in schools, courts, physician offices, emergency rooms, outpatient mental health providers, other state systems of care, or homeless. While marijuana is the primary drug of use in Massachusetts adolescents, most are “poly-substance users”. Most, 80%, have co-occurring mental health needs. (Source: Recovery High School Presentation, MASS/MASC Joint Conference, 2015 and National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 2011-12)
Despite our best efforts, our school environment is not the ideal place for students in recovery from substance use disorder. Recovering students experience peer pressure to go back to their old behaviors and just the presence of the peers with whom they formerly used can be a trigger for relapse. Furthermore, these students are often stigmatized by other peers due to treatment. Many schools also lack the type of mental health supports necessary to properly address the disease of addiction or to create a culture of recovery. Typical discipline codes result in long term suspensions which contributes to the isolation, depression, and other mental health symptoms that lead to substance use or abuse.
Confounding our struggles are evolving social norms around alcohol and drug use. Adolescents see adults consuming alcohol and often in excess. Alcohol use is viewed as socially acceptable. Furthermore, current decriminalization and legalization efforts are creating the impression that marijuana use is equally acceptable. This often results in a decrease in the perceived risks associated with alcohol and drug use.
To effectively address substance use and abuse, we need to minimize risk factors and maximize protective factors for our children and adolescents. One of the most significant risk factors is lack of parental supervision. Conversely, one of the most important protective factors is parental monitoring. Impulse control abilities, academic competence, anti-drug policies, and strong neighborhood / community connections are among the other top protective factors. The earlier that parents become involved, the greater the impact. According to the national Partnership for Drug-Free Kids, kids who learn the basics of substance abuse from their parents are up to 50% less likely to use drugs. However, only 37% report getting educated by parents. The “rules to live by” when it comes to parental efforts aimed at reducing substance use and abuse include:
- Talk to your kids.
- Monitor what they’re doing. You’re their parent, not their friend!
- Get to know their friends and their friends’ parents.
- Understand (try) and ask about their problems and concerns.
- Be consistent with rules and discipline.
- Be active and involved with their education.
As a school district, we are examining our K-12 health curriculum and are committed to making the changes necessary to ensure that we are addressing alcohol and substance abuse at the “right” age, in an age-appropriate manner, and using evidence-based approaches and materials. In addition, through our behavioral health initiatives, we are working to ensure that we are minimizing the risk factors and maximizing the protective factors over which we have influence or control.
However, we cannot emphasize enough how important is the role of our parents and families. We are committed to engaging with you as partners in overcoming this challenge. We will do what we are able to provide resources and information to empower parents to confront this challenge head on. To that end, we have created a Behavioral Health page on our district website where you will find a large number of resources to help you address the behavioral needs of your children, including how to talk to them about substance use and abuse. We are also offering parent education opportunities, the first of which will be this Tuesday, November 10th at 7:00 p.m. in the Wilmington Middle School Auditorium. This workshop, “Combating Underage Substance Use and Abuse”, is intended to provide parents with important information on how to recognize the signs and symptoms of substance use and substance use disorder, the steps that parents can take to minimize and/or address substance use, and the resources available to support parents whose children may be using or abusing substances. This workshop is for parents only and we do not advise parents to bring students to the presentation. To facilitate attendance by parents, we will have babysitting services available for students PK – Grade 6.
Please know that this is the first in a series of workshops that we are organizing for parents to promote students’ academic and behavioral success. We will also be addressing students through assemblies, presentations, and outside speakers to educate them about the adverse physical and neurological impacts of substance use and to encourage and motivate them to remain drug-free and sober. As always, we welcome your ideas and suggestions and ask that you support our efforts by reinforcing the important messages we convey and the attitudes we encourage our children to adopt.
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