Survey: Marijuana use up, alcohol use down among teenagers

SALT LAKE CITY -- More teenagers are smoking marijuana, but alcohol use is on the decline. Those are among the key findings of a new national survey, and Utah's numbers show similar trends.

The National Institutes of Health "Monitoring the Future Survey" is an annual survey of teens on their use of drugs, alcohol and cigarettes. Researchers surveyed 8th, 10th, and 12th graders across the country and found marijuana, ecstasy and heroin use is up, especially among high school seniors.

We talked to Utah teens about the survey, and specifically the rise in marijuana use.

"A lot of people talk about it, but it doesn't really surprise me," said 10th grader Isabelle Bertram.

According to the survey, from 8th grade to 12th grade, students who say they smoke pot daily tripled in the last decade, while their perceived risk from the drug has dropped. The survey finds marijuana use among 8th graders in the past year went up from 14.5 percent to 16 percent.

The survey also reveals more teens smoke marijuana now than cigarettes.

"I'm kind of thinking that cigarettes are harder for people to get a hold of nowadays than illegal drugs," said McKenzie Klint, a high school student.

Utah surveys students on similar issues every other year. The 2009 survey shows a slight increase in marijuana and tobacco use, but at about half the usage rate of the national average.

"People always talk about it like it's something cool to do," said 9th grader Sara Lowe.

Verne Larsen, Safe and Drug-free Schools coordinator for the State Office of Education, said the state uses the data to update and modify drug abuse prevention strategies taught in schools across the state.

As for the latest trends?

"Any increase is kind of a red flag to us, so we're keeping our eye on it," he said.

He thinks the rise in marijuana use might be tied to the legalization of medical marijuana in other states, including three of Utah's neighbors.

"I think they hear that, so maybe the focus isn't as much on that it's harmful," he said. "They think, 'Well, this isn't as bad as what people think it is.'"

Other key findings from the national survey: binge drinking decreased, but abuse of prescription drugs, like painkillers, remained high.

Larsen says positive peer pressure is a powerful tool in drug prevention in Utah. Strategies in the state focus on getting parents talking with their children, and community coalitions that involve schools which create positive choices for kids. These are strategies used in the "Parents Empowered" campaign.

Larsen says education on life skills, friendship building and coping with peer pressure is woven within other course work. That kind of strategy, he says, can be more effective in steering kids clear of drugs than a more targeted approach that focuses solely on drug prevention.

"If I have only eight to nine percent of my students that get involved with marijuana, for example, that means I have 91, 92 percent that don't," he said.

While the drug prevention work is never complete, Larsen thinks the state has done a good job for years, and adapts to changing trends.

Long term, however, drug abuse prevention money is drying up in tough budget times. Larsen said $1.5 million in federal money is gone this year. What kind of effect that will have remains to be seen in future surveys.

Parents looking for more information on how they can help their children who may be involved in drugs, [CLICK HERE].

E-mail: jboal@ksl.com

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