Youth Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs:
Use, Behavior, Perceptions and Attitudes
Date posted: 05/07/2003
Quick Data Links
Chart Directory:
| Drug Use & Behavior | Drug Perceptions & Attitudes |
Data used on this page is taken from the Colorado Youth Survey: 2002 Report (produced by the Omni Institute), and represents the school year ending in 2002. The survey was given in 46 Colorado school districts, including Poudre and Thompson districts in Larimer County. When Colorado is shown in the charts below, the data is only representative of schools participating in the Colorado Youth Survey. In 2002, there were over 27,000 students in the state who participated. In Poudre School District, 2,922 students participated and 3,360 in Thompson School District. When available, trend data from past years can be found in the data tables.
Definitions:
- Binge Drinking - Five or more alcoholic drinks in a row on one occasion in the previous two weeks.
- Parental Attitudes Favorable to Drug Use - The degree to which respondents report their parents would feel it is wrong if they (the respondents) drink liquor, smoke marijuana, or smoke cigarettes.
- Laws and Norms Favorable to Drug Use - The degree to which respondents think youth in their neighborhood would be caught by the police if they smoked marijuana, drank alcohol, or carried a handgun and the extent to which to which they feel parents in the neighborhood would think it's wrong to smoke cigarettes, marijuana or to drink alcohol.
- Perceived Availability of Drugs - The degree to which respondents think it is easy for youths to get alcohol, cigarettes, and illicit drugs.
What this chart shows: Percent of Students Using Alcohol in the Past 30 Days in Larimer County School Districts and Colorado, 2002
Data Source for this chart: Colorado Youth Survey 2002, produced by OMNI
What this chart shows: Percent of Students Using Marijuana in the Past 30 Days in Larimer County School Districts and Colorado, 2002
Data Source for this chart: Colorado Youth Survey 2002, produced by OMNI
What this chart shows: Percent of Students Using Cigarettes in the Past 30 Days in Larimer County School Districts and Colorado, 2002
Data Source for this chart: Colorado Youth Survey, produced by OMNI
What these data tell us:
Poudre School District students in 10th and 12th grade had a higher occurrences of alcohol, marijuana, and cigarette usage in the past 30 days than both Thompson School District and the Colorado state average. trend data available in the data tables indicates that while Poudre had higher occurrences of usage in 2002, they have improved in most areas since 2000. Overall, more students indicated they were using alcohol compared to marijuana and cigarettes.Additional Information:
Outside Compass-
- Healthier Communities Coalition of Larimer County (HCC) - is a broad-based coalition of nonprofit, business, government and citizen leaders focused on improving the health and well-being of Larimer County residents.
- Neuroscience of Psychoactive Substance Use and Dependence [pdf] (World Health Organization 2004) - the World Health Organization provides a comprehensive overview of the biological factors related to substance use and dependence. The report also addresses the social and environmental factors which influence substance use and dependence, the neuroscience aspects of interventions and, in particular, the ethical implications of new biological intervention strategies.
Industry Standards or Targets:
National High School and Youth Trends - National Institute on Drug Abuse
Additional Information:
TEAM Fort Collins Community Abuse Profile Report
The National Youth Anti-drug Campaign
National Institute of Drug Abuse
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion -
Tobacco Information and Prevention Source
National Center for Tobacco Free Kids
Data Tables:
|
|
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
|
|
6th Grade |
Poudre |
13.1% |
5.4% |
7.4% |
|
|
Thompson |
|
6.4% |
8.4% |
|
|
Colorado |
|
|
8.6% |
|
8th Grade |
Poudre |
30.1% |
34.4% |
23.9% |
|
|
Thompson |
|
28.8% |
27.0% |
|
|
Colorado |
|
|
28.5% |
|
10th Grade |
Poudre |
53.0% |
48.1% |
50.2% |
|
|
Thompson |
|
|
37.5% |
|
|
Colorado |
|
|
46.2% |
|
12th Grade |
Poudre |
60.4% |
63.1% |
59.6% |
|
|
Thompson |
|
|
48.7% |
|
|
Colorado |
|
|
53.9% |
|
|
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
|
|
6th Grade |
Poudre |
low |
low |
low |
|
|
Thompson |
|
1.7% |
1.5% |
|
|
Colorado |
|
|
2.1% |
|
8th Grade |
Poudre |
10.1% |
11.8% |
8.1% |
|
|
Thompson |
|
10.6% |
12.8% |
|
|
Colorado |
|
|
12.1% |
|
10th Grade |
Poudre |
26.6% |
28.3% |
27.2% |
|
|
Thompson |
|
|
13.5% |
|
|
Colorado |
|
|
22.1% |
|
12th Grade |
Poudre |
32.6% |
30.2% |
30.9% |
|
|
Thompson |
|
|
21.9% |
|
|
Colorado |
|
|
24.6% |
|
|
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
|
|
6th Grade |
Poudre |
2.4% |
1.7% |
2.7% |
|
|
Thompson |
|
3.1% |
3.4% |
|
|
Colorado |
|
|
4.0% |
|
8th Grade |
Poudre |
19.0% |
12.5% |
7.8% |
|
|
Thompson |
|
11.9% |
16.0% |
|
|
Colorado |
|
|
12.7% |
|
10th Grade |
Poudre |
26.2% |
18.7% |
21.3% |
|
|
Thompson |
|
|
12.1% |
|
|
Colorado |
|
|
20.3% |
|
12th Grade |
Poudre |
32.8% |
28.6% |
27.6% |
|
|
Thompson |
|
|
26.5% |
|
|
Colorado |
|
|
27.6% |