Alcohol & marijuana use

Students in Washington State recently took the 2010 Healthy Youth Survey. Results should be available in the spring. Below are charts showing the 10th and 12th grade rates of current alcohol and marijuana use in the state, King County, Seattle Public Schools, Nathan Hale High School, and Roosevelt High School as reported in the 2008 Healthy Youth Survey.

Drunk or high at school

According to the Washington State Healthy Youth Survey, 21% of Seattle Public Schools' 10th grade students and 26% of 12th grade students report being drunk or high at school in the past year. These rates are above the Washington State average.

Here's a story from Northwest Cable News about the statewide statistics.

Parenting & underage drinking

Here are a few interesting charts that were included in our latest Drug-Free Homes Parent Pledge:

Data source: 2008 Healthy Youth Survey of students grades 6-12 attending Eckstein Middle School, Roosevelt High School, and Nathan Hale High School. Thanks to Lauri Turkovsky at DBHR for creating them!

April is Alcohol Awareness Month

From CADCA Coalitions Online:

While communities are faced with a number of substance abuse issues, underage drinking continues to be among the most pervasive ones, with nearly 11 million underage drinkers today. That´s why April is designated as Alcohol Awareness Month, an annual public awareness campaign that encourages local communities to focus on alcoholism and alcohol-related issues.

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, about 10.7 million persons aged 12 to 20 (27.9 percent of this age group) reported drinking alcohol in the past month. Approximately 7.2 million or 18.6 percent were considered binge drinkers, and 2.3 million or 6 percent were heavy drinkers.

According to the Healthy Youth Survey, in northeast Seattle:

-- more than 50% of seniors (at Nathan Hale and Roosevelt High Schools) report drinking alcohol on a regular basis,

-- and more than 30% of them report binge drinking.