Substance use prevention education is one of the six effective prevention strategies identified by SAMHSA’s (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP). Prevention education is intended to increase the knowledge and skills of a target audience through two-way communication between a facilitator and a participant. Some examples of prevention education include classroom and small group sessions, peer leader and peer helper programs, and groups for children with family impacted by substance use. Ohio law requires that students learn about prevention topics as part of their health education including opioid misuse, the harmful effects of electronic smoking devices, suicide, violence, and sexual violence. Teaching students about these topics can help prevent substance use, mental health issues, and other negative outcomes. The success of these programs can be measured by test results, self-report surveys, and by evaluating local trend data of youth behaviors.
The Ohio Healthy Youth Environments Survey (OHYES!) is one of the most comprehensive self-report student surveys available in the state. It is done via a collaborative effort between the Ohio Departments of Education, Health, and Mental Health and Education Services, Ohio National Guard, and representatives from higher education, juvenile courts, foundations, and community service providers. The survey asks students in grades 7-12 about substance use, bullying, school safety, parental attitudes, and adverse childhood experiences. The results of this survey help identify areas of concern, show what efforts are working, and can be used to help communities when applying for grants. Here are some of the findings in the OHYES! Entire State Report for 2022-2023:
- 72% of students heard, read, or watched an advertisement about substance use prevention during the past year.
- 56% of talked with at least one of their parents/guardians about the dangers of substances in the past year.
- 9% of students consumed alcohol on one or more occasions in the past 30 days.
- 18% of students reported having used an electronic vapor product.
- 6% of students reported using marijuana in the past 30 days.
This data provides important insights into current youth substance use trends, but it does not show if prevention efforts like prevention education are working. Thankfully, Ohio Youth Surveys has trend reports from the CDC-backed Youth Risk Behavior Survey/Youth Tobacco Surveys (YRBS/YTS) which show changes year over year. Youth substance use trends can change significantly over time. Here are some key datapoints regarding middle and high school use of alcohol, electronic vapor products, and marijuana with comparisons between current use and the oldest available data on the trend reports.
- Current Alcohol Use (at least one drink of alcohol on at least one day during the 30 days before the survey).
- High School: 42.2% (2003) vs. 22.9% (2023)
- Middle School: 8.2% (2021) vs. 11.1% (2023)
- Ever Used an Electronic Vapor Product
- High School: 47.7% (2019) vs. 36.6% (2023)
- Middle School: 25.7% (2019) vs. 14% (2023)
- Ever Used Marijuana
- High School: 37% (2003) vs. 32.2% (2023)
- Middle School: 10.2% (2019) vs. 6.3% (2023)
This data shows that prevention efforts are working even if there are only small percentage changes. Prevention efforts have played a key role in bringing these numbers down, and requiring prevention education as part of a child’s health education is an important part of those efforts. Please visit the Ohio Youth Surveys website for additional reports and insights, and check out the resources below for more information about youth prevention efforts.
Resources
Ohio Department of Education & Workforce – Prevention Education
Youth.gov – Substance Abuse Prevention
2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey Results: Ohio High School Survey Trend Analysis Report
2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey Results: Ohio Middle School Survey Trend Analysis Report
Ohio Healthy Youth Environment Survey – OHYES! Entire State Report for 2022-2023
Ohio Youth Surveys – Reports & Insights
|
