Teen prescription drug concerns higher than marijuana

By Mallory Peebles

Anchorage, ALASKA (KTUU) Prescription drug abuse by young people is of greater concern to many Alaskans than marijuana use, according to a new study.

The Alaska Justice Forum has released data gauging the level of concern by parents and non-parents on the use of pot and prescription drugs by kids.

About 77 percent of parents and 66 percent of adults without kids who were surveyed say they are very concerned about "the problem of use of prescription drugs without prescription by youth 18 and younger."

In contrast, some 58 percent of parents and 44 percent of adults said they were very concerned "about the problem of marijuana use by youth 18 and younger."

Dr. Marny Rivera led the study. She said the response is good first step towards starting a conversation about drug use prevention in youth.

"I think it's a sign of community readiness for change. Maybe people don't know how to respond to this situation or parents don't know how to prevent youth access to substances that they have in their home but by indicating that there's a concern that's one step toward prevention," Rivera said.

The Adult Perceptions of Anchorage Youth: 2015 Survey (APAYS) was conducted with state grant money. Some 1,868 people in zip codes across Anchorage received a $2 along with the study.'s questionaire. Of those, 648 residents completed the survey either online or by mail.