Schools
Marijuana, Alcohol Use Down Among Stoughton Students, According to OASIS Survey
Results from the Organizing Against Substances in Stoughton (OASIS) 2013 Stoughton Youth Survey, which collected data about alcohol and drug usage rates among high school and middle school students in Stoughton.
A whopping 83-percent of Stoughton High School students are currently using marijuana.
Well, at least that's what the students perceive.
In actuality, the current marijuana use rate (having used over the last 30 days) is much lower - 21.5-percent, according to a survey run by the OASIS group (Organizing Against Substances in Stoughton).
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Statewide, that number is 28-percent, and country-wide it is 23-percent.
In the last OASIS survey, conducted in 2011, 28-percent of Stoughton students admitted to using marijuana over the past 30-days. The 21.5-percent is the lowest rate since the 2008 survey (19-percent).
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Lifetime usage rate for marijuana is also down, with 37-percent of SHS students having tried marijuana, vs. 42-percent in the 2011 survey.
OASIS ran a Stoughton Youth Survey on Feb. 12, 2013 asking middle school and high school students about substance use habits, among other topics. The results of the survey (which were anonymous) were recently released.
In an encouraging sign, the current usage rate and lifetime usage rate for substances like alcohol, marijuana, cigarettes and prescription drugs is trending down among Stoughton students, and the usage rates here are slightly lower than the state average.
A total of 739 valid surveys were collected at Stoughton High on Feb. 12 (72-percent of students), while 844 valid surveys were collected at the O'Donnell Middle School (92-percent of students) on the same day.
Like their high school counterparts, far more middle school students perceive their peers are engaging in drug activity than are actually using.
While only 3-percent of middle school students in Stoughton said they have used marijuana over the past 30 days, the perceived usage rate is 35-percent.
Four-percent of Stoughton middle school students have tried marijuana at least once, down from 5-percent in 2011.
Marijuana is the second most frequently used substance, behind alcohol.
About 31-percent of high school students and 3-percent of middle school students have said they have had alcohol over the past 30-days.
More than half (53-percent) of Stoughton High students have had alcohol at least once, however, while the lifetime alcohol usage rate among OMS students is 10-percent.
The perceived alcohol usage rate is much higher though with 84-percent of SHS students believing their peers drink and 35-percent of OMS students perceiving their friends are using alcohol.
This discrepancy between actual usage rates and perceived usage rates is something that the OASIS group will have to work on, Stephanie Patton, OASIS Substance Prevention Coordinator, said. If more students believe their peers are using, they may be more likely to use.
Students also perceive marijuana to be less harmful than other substances. Only 43-percent of students at SHS feel marijuana is harmful, compared to cigarettes, which 90-percent of students at SHS feel is harmful. This is also something Patton said the OASIS group will target.
No school staff handled the anonymous surveys, Patton said, and students could opt not to participate.
The following is a snapshot of the data collected:
Substance Use (Past 30 Days)
High School (Actual) High School (Perceived) Middle School (Actual) Middle School (Perceived) Alcohol 31% 84% 3% 35% Marijuana 21.5% 83% 3% 35% Cigarettes 8% 77% 1% 38% Prescription Drugs 3% 56% 0.5% 18%Stoughton High School Substance Use (Past 30 Days) Compared to State and U.S.A.
Alcohol Marijuana Cigarettes Prescription Drugs Stoughton (2013) 31% 21.5% 8% 3% State (2011) 40% 28% 14% 3% U.S.A. (2011) 39% 23% 18% NAStoughton High Current Substance Use Trends
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2011 2013 Alcohol 37% 39% 43% 34% 41% 33% 31% Marijuana 20% 17% 18% 19% 24% 28% 21.5% Cigarettes 14% 11% 13% NA 18% 13% 8%Lifetime Substance Use in Stoughton (High School & Middle School)
Current Alcohol Drinkers at SHS Who Engage in High-Risk Drinking
9th 34.5% 10th 51% 11th 41% 12th 70%Perception of Risk of Harm
High School Middle School Alcohol 74% 70% Marijuana 43% 68% Cigarettes 90% 80% Prescription Drugs 88% 81%Perception of Parental Disapproval
High School Middle School Alcohol 93% 97% Marijuana 86% 97% Cigarettes 92% 98% Prescription Drugs 96% 98%Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
