Marijuana use declines among 10th-graders

Tad Sooter

PORT ORCHARD — Marijuana use has declined among Kitsap County 10th-graders since the drug was legalized for adult recreational use in the state, results of the state Healthy Youth Survey show.

Fifteen percent of high school sophomores surveyed in 2016 reported having used marijuana in the previous month, according to results released Tuesday. That was down from the 20 percent who reported marijuana use in 2014 and 2012.

The rate of pot use among high school seniors remained steady over the same period. Washington voters legalized recreational marijuana for adults 21 and older in 2012.

Laura Hyde with the county Substance Abuse Prevention Program said prevention efforts in the community helped reduce marijuana use among teens, even as the drug became more normalized in society.

"That's just an amazing thing," Hyde said. "We're very proud of that."

The biennial Healthy Youth Survey showed no change in teens' attitude toward marijuana use between 2014 and 2016. About 47 percent of eighth-graders surveyed last year believed there was "great risk" in regular marijuana use.

Kitsap survey results indicate a general decline in substance use among teens, including a dramatic drop in the number of teens using tobacco and alcohol. Twenty-eight percent of 10th-graders reported drinking alcohol within the past month when surveyed in 2008. Last year, only 17 percent said they used alcohol. Tobacco use among 10th-graders dropped from 16 percent in 2008 to 6 percent in 2016.

Questions about e-cigarette use were added to the survey two years ago, and health officials were troubled when 23 percent of 10th-graders and 27 of 12th-graders reported vaping. Results in 2016 were more positive, with 10 percent of 10th-graders and 23 percent of 12th-graders saying they vaped.

Hyde said the survey results signal progress for prevention groups working to curb teen drug use. Substance abuse prevention coalitions in Bremerton, North Kitsap and South Kitsap partner with teachers, parents and youth organizations to educate students on the risks of drug use and promote healthy activities.

After marijuana legalization, Hyde said the groups met with pot retailers to discuss using marketing strategies that won't appeal to teens and encouraging customers to talk to children about the potential harm of using marijuana at a young age. Teens are volunteering are carrying out alcohol and tobacco "assessments" at neighborhood stores to identify displays and advertising that might appeal to children.

Vaping also has been a point of emphasis. Hyde said prevention groups are countering the message that vaping is a safe alternative to cigarettes. A public vaping ban enacted last year helped discourage use, she added.

“I think our community has done a great job in coming together and working together to support youth substance abuse prevention,” Hyde said.

Survey results show room for improvement. As one example, more than half of 12th-graders who reported using marijuana also said they'd driven vehicles within three hours of using — equating to about 100 students driving under the influence.

Full Healthy Youth Survey results can be accessed at www.askhys.net. For information on substance abuse prevention in the county, go to kitsapgov.com.