In 2015, the Way Out West Coalition surveyed the Buckeye community about attitudes on youth alcohol and substance use. In general, the results were very positive. Buckeye adults overwhelmingly hold attitudes discouraging youth alcohol and substance use, including prescription drugs. Check out the following stats on Buckeye adult attitudes!
A Look at the Statistics
The following slides explore adult attitudes for youth alcohol and drug (ab)use, and prescription drug misuse and abuse.
This year, over ninety percent of adults are concerned or very concerned about youth using alcohol.
Adult concerns over teen alcohol consumption increased from 81.1 percent to 90.6 percent, which is a 12 percent increase over the previous year!
96.5 of adults believe it is not okay for teenagers to drive after they’ve been drinking. The number represents a two percent increase over the previous year.
97.5 percent of adults surveyed in Buckeye disagree with the statement, “It is okay to drink at parties if teenagers do not get drunk.” Again, it is another two percent increase in adult attitudes that protect our youth.
This year, 90 percent of adults surveyed believed it is wrong for underage youth to even drink alcohol at home with parents or family. Statistics concerning alcohol addiction support the argument that teens should not drink alcohol, even at home. In 2014, 88 percent of adults believed it was not okay for teenagers to drink alcohol at home with parents or family.
This year is our first for measuring marijuana attitudes. We found that 98 percent of all adults surveyed do not believe it is okay for youth to use marijuana.
The 98 percent number remained constant for attitudes concerning marijuana and driving.
As to harm, 83 percent of adults believe marijuana is as harmful to teenagers as other drugs.
Moving to prescription drugs, 98 percent of adults believe it is wrong to allow youth to use Rx drugs that have not been prescribed to them.
The statement on the dangers of prescription drugs garnered 60 percent agreement. However, the problem with the statement is that it does not delineate between Rx drugs used according to the prescription and Rx drugs that are misused or abused.
99 percent of all adults believe it is wrong to provide their unused Rx drugs to youth.
