1. 2017 Pennsylvania Youth survey (PAYS)
CB West Parent Council Meeting

2. Pays report Completed every two years
Given anonymously 8th, 10th, and 12th grade students in all five middle schools, and all three high schools
80% participation rate (3,885 valid surveys submitted)
973 schools in PA chose to participate in 2017 PAYS survey (253,566 valid surveys in all)
Page 7 – Validity measures – to eliminate “fake” or dishonest responses, the survey included internal validity measures, and would eliminate dishonest surveys if:
The student indicated they used a drug that was actually fictitious
The student reported an improbably high level of multiple drug use
The student indicated past-month use rates that were higher than lifetime use rates
The student reported an age that was inconsistent with their grade, or the grades served by their school
The student reported an age for joining a gang that was older than their reported age.
Of the 258,508 surveys returned for analysis, 4,942 (1.9%) were eliminated for meeting one or more of the above criteria.

3. Purpose of survey
To gather information about students’ knowledge, attitudes and behaviors toward alcohol, tobacco, and other drug (ATOD) use to help communities address the root causes of anti-social behavior.

4. Main topics of inquiry ATOD Use and Access Antisocial Behavior
Community and Social Climate and Safety
Social and Emotional Health
Systemic Factors
Risk and Protective Factors
Mention that these are all very important, hot-button topics, and we could easily spend hours on just ONE of them. For purposes of this presentation, and in the interest of time, we will focus on the data collected in this survey.

5. ATOD - Use and Access
CBSD 2013, 2015, 2017

6. Early initiation / higher prevalence drugs
Alcohol
Tobacco (cigarettes, vaping)
Marijuana
Inhalants
Info p. 12

7. p. 14
Lifetime use = measures students who tried the particular substance at least once in their lifetime.
30-Day use = measures student who have recently used the substance
Most common early initiation/higher prevalence substance used in CB was alcohol (54%) compared to 43% at state level.
Next came Marijuana – 24% of CB students indicating lifetime use, compared to 17.7% at state level
MTF = Monitoring the Future Survey – national sampling of 8th, 10th, and 12th grade students regarding prevalence of use of ATOD’s

8. p. 15
Since these drugs are generally more socially acceptable, then kids see their use as “normal” and acceptable. Another risk is that their use may “prime” the brain for addiction to other substances.

9. p. 16
Cigarette usage has declined over the years; however, the number of students using e-cigarettes and vapes has grown exponentially.
An average of 28% of all students have vaped in the past month.
While CB figures are higher than state and national numbers, all figures have seen an increase in these figures.

10. p. 16
Of those vaping:
64% of CB students used “just flavoring” (PA = 67%)
56% of CB students used “nicotine” (PA = 29%) – CB almost double the state average
24% of CB students used marijuana (PA = 12.6%) CB double the state average

11. Prescription and OTC Drugs and medications
PA Drug-related Overdose Death Rate:
= 36.5 out of 100,000
(National average = 16.3 / 100,000)
OPIOIDS were present in 85% of overdose-deaths in PA (2016)
p.18
Students often believe that Prescription and OTC medications are safer than illicit drugs because they are prescribed by a doctor and dispensed by a Pharmacist. This is particularly troubling, given the adverse consequences related to Rx drug abuse – physiological and psychological addition, physical dependence, and the possibility of overdose. Studies show that once access to Rx drugs is limited, some abusers have gone on to use heroin or other illicit substances. In a 2014 study, the CDC reported that 75% of new heroin users report having abused Rx opioids prior to using heroin.

12. p.20
4.7% of CB students have used prescription narcotics in their lifetime -- (Vicodin, OxyContin, Percocet, Codeine)
4.2% have used prescription stimulants (Ritalin or Adderall) pp
Data on “other drug” lifetime use by CB students (cocaine, crack, meth, heroin, hallucinogens, ecstasy, synthetic drugs) –was statistically insignificant, and therefore not presented.

13. Risky substance use related behaviors: Binge drinking and DUI
p. 27
Binge drinking – ‘drinking to get drunk” – having five or more alcoholic drinks in a row
13% CB students engaged in binge drinking in past two weeks (7.5% PA )
2.0% CB students reported driving while/shortly after drinking (2.2% PA)
5% CB students reported driving after marijuana use in past year (but 15% of 12th graders reported driving after marijuana use)

14. Access and willingness to use
Student willingness to try or use ATOD’s is one of the attitudes that facilitates drug use
p. 29
Questions about HOW and WHERE ATOD’s were obtained help suggest new approaches for preventing substance abuse.
In CB, 38% of students showed a willingness to use alcohol, indicating they “would like to try it or use it,” or “would use it any chance I got,” compared to 26.5% at the PA level.

15. p. 31
Sources of alcohol:
41% of CB students “took it without permission from my home/friend’s home, store” (PA – 33%)

16. Sources of alcohol, CONT’D
100 80 60 40 20
p. 32
Sources of alcohol:
37% of CB students said that they “gave someone money to buy it for me.”
Note how 20% of 12th grader’s “Friend’s parents” provided alcohol to them.
Note how almost 40% of 8th graders reported that “parents provided it to me.”
Sources of drugs:
Not pictured on this graph is the statistic that 47% of students stated that a “friend or family member” was their source for getting Rx drugs w/o prescription

17. Anti-social behavior p. 35
The survey examined several anti-social behaviors, including gambling and violence toward others. We will focus on those anti-social behaviors related to alcohol and drugs.

18. Anti-social behavior related to alcohol and drug use
9% of CB students have been “drunk or high” at school (PA average = 5.6%)
4.2% of CB students have admitted to selling drugs at school (PA average = 2.6%)
Anti-social behavior related to alcohol and drug use
p. 39

19. Community and school climate and safety
p. 41
Creating safe and supportive schools is essential to ensuring students’ academic and social success. There are multiple elements to establishing environments in which youth feel safe, connected, valued, and responsible for their behavior and learning.

20. Measuring School climate and safety
Commitment and involvement at school
Involvement in after-school and community programs
Prevalence of Bullying
p. 41
Over past 15 years, many youth surveys, including PAYS, have incorporated Risk and Protective Factor data in their analyses. School climate and safety have emerged as a focal point for prevention programming and policy planning.
To measure School Climate and Safety, we can examine these factors. Increased personal investment in school results in greater bonding and adoption of the school’s standard of behavior, reducing the likelihood that the students will become involved in problem behaviors.

21. Commitment to school p. 43-44 – graphs synthesized
Shows our students enjoy being in school, and view it as important.

22. Commitment to school, cont’dpp
HIGH numbers of our students feel safe in school, can talk to their teacher, and are engaged in class.
This is a reflection of the commitment of our teachers – how safe, welcoming, and engaging they make their classroom environments; and how they value RELATIONSHIPS with all their students.

23. Involvement in pro-social activitiespp
Pro-social activity: those that foster healthy development, and which create opportunities for bonding with adult role models (community leaders, neighbors, police, clergy), who can offer moral guidance and emotional support.

24. Bullying
68.7 % of CB students replied “NO” when asked if they had been bullied in the past 12 months. For those that did report bullying, 67% stated that “Adults at my school stop bullying when they see/hear it, or students tell them about it.
p.49
The importance of school-wide connections and relationships can be seen in some of the bullying data that was collected.
Almost 70% of students reported that they had not been bullied in the past 12 months.
Of those (30%) that have reported some bullying, almost 70% reported that the bullying stopped when they reported it to an adult at their school

25. Social and emotional health

26. Mental Health concerns and suicide risk
Studies show link between mental health issues (such as depression) and the use of ATOD’s during adolescence.
Depression is #1 risk factor for suicide by teens.
Suicide is 3rd leading cause of death for youth between age 10 and 24.
p. 58
Stress, anxiety, loneliness, and frustration are all emotions that can negatively impact student health.
Tragic outcomes, such as overdosing and suicide, underscore the necessity of tracking student emotional health.
0ne in five adolescents has a diagnosable mental health disorder, and nearly 1/3 show symptoms of depression.
Less than half of the teens who need mental health care receive treatment (social stigma; insurance/finances; access to MH care)

27. p. 60
Most common depressed thought was “at times I think I am no good at all” – 34.8% of students in CB
36.3% of students reported they felt sad or depressed MOST days in the past 12 months
While most of these statistics are better that PA state averages, the percentage of students with these depressive feelings is still too high.

28. p.61
18% of students felt so sad that they stopped doing usual activities
15% of all students considered suicide, 12% planned suicide, and 6.5% of students attempted suicide 1 or more times.
Again, while these averages are lower than PA state averages, they still represent too many of our students.

29. Systemic factors

30. Systemic factors Students’ perception of risk
Students’ perception of parental and peer disapproval
Attitudes toward peer use
p. 66
Systemic factors are measures of the attitudes and perceptions students hold about substances. It measures the perceived risks of use for individual substances and how acceptable these substances are perceived to be from both a peer standpoint and parental standpoint.

31. p. 68
Students were asked, ‘How much do you think people risk harming themselves (physically or in other ways) if they
Notice the lower response rate for “try marijuana once or twice,” especially among 12th grade students.

32. p. 69
Students asked, “How wrong do your parents feel it would be for you to “
The responses were the percentages of students who reported that their parents feel it would be “wrong” or “very wrong” to use the substance.

33. p. 72
The older the student is, the more influence a student’s peers exert on the student’s behavior.
Researchers have identified a positive correlation between the amount of peer disapproval of ATOD use and the level of ATOD use among students.
The questions asked, “How wrong do your friends feel it would be for you to:. . . “

34. Risk and protective factors

35. Protective factor examples
4 Domains of Risk and Protective factors: Community; Family; School; Peer/Individual
Risk factor examples
Protective factor examples
Perceived availability of drugs (C)
Family Conflict (F)
Low commitment toward School (S)
Rebelliousness, or Depressive Symptoms (P/I)
Rewards for Prosocial Involvement (C)
Family attachment (F)
Opportunities for Prosocial Involvement (S)
Belief in the Moral Order (P/I)
p. 82 ff
Risk factors are conditions that increase the likelihood of a young person becoming involved in drug use, delinquency, school dropout, and/or violence.
Protective factors, also known as “assets,” are conditions that buffer youth from risk by reducing the impact of the risks, or changing the way they respond to risks.
Assessing overall risk and protective factor scales are a good way to review the health of CBSD. Scales are grouped into four domains: Community, Family, School, and Peer/Individual. Understanding these risks and protective factors can assist schools and families in understanding and targeting areas of risk, while strengthening and continuing to build protective factors for our children. The survey breaks risk and protective factors down by grade, and those scales are in your handouts. For purposes of this presentation, we will look at the top risk factors and protective factors for all three grades combined.

36. Highest CB Risk factors – all grades
p. 93
48% of students in CB are at risk for “receiving rewards for their antisocial behavior,” and therefore are at higher risk for engaging further in antisocial behavior and substance use. Question asked was: “What are the chances you would be seen as cool if you a) carried a handgun b) Began drinking alcoholic beverages regularly, c) smoked cigarettes; or d) used marijuana (see pg. 89).
Perceived risk of drug use: “How much do you think people risk harming themselves (physically or in other ways) if they: a) take 1 or 2 drinks of an alcoholic beverage nearly every day; b) smoke one or more packs of cigs per day; c) try marijuana once or twice; d) use marijuana regularly? See p. 88
Peer Attitudes Favorable Toward Drug Use: How wrong do you think it is for someone your age to: Stay away from school all day when their parents think they’re are at school (and several more questions) – see p. 88

37. Highest CB protective factors – all grades
Rewards for Prosocial Involvement: When parents, siblings, and other family members praise, encourage, and attend to things done well by their child, children are less likely to engage in substance use and problem behaviors
“Do you enjoy spending time with your mother/father?” “My parents notice when I am doing a good job and let me know about it.” “How often do your parents tell you they’re proud of you for something you’ve done?”
Family Opportunities for Prosocial involvement: More opportunities to participate meaningfully in the responsibilities and activities of the family – less likely to engage in drug use and other problem behaviors.
“My parents ask me what I think before most family decisions affecting me are made.” “If I had a personal problem, I could ask my mom or dad for help.” “My parents give me lots of chances to do fun things with them.”
Family attachment: Young people who feel that they are a valued part of their family are less likely to engage in substance use and other problem behaviors.
“Do you feel very close to your mother?/father? “Do you share your thoughts and feelings with your mother?/father?

38. TAKEAWAYS …

39. Increase in vaping/e-cigarettes
Decrease in Perception of Risk of Marijuana
The Role of Social and Emotional Health as a Risk Factor
Students Feel Connected to Schools and Teachers
Parents’ Positive Influence on Student Attitudes
Abundant Opportunities for Pro- Social Involvement
TAKEAWAYS: