November 20, 2014
Ground Rules:
- Listen with an open mind
- Respect other’s opinions
- Assume no malicious intent
- Speak from your own experience
- Don’t interrupt others
- Be open to learning something new
Small groups looked at data provided related to different substances and developed problem statements and brainstormed contributing factors to these problems.
MARIJUANA
Problem Statement:
Youth do not think it is harmful to smoke marijuana.
YRBS data:
25% of students think that people their age risk harming themselves if they smoke marijuana regularly
Contributing Factors:
- Mixed messages from parents
- Lack of positive health information
- Lack of information on the health and safety consequences (brain development, driving, etc.)
- Think their friends use
- Glorification of use by athletes and others
MARIJUANA
Problem Statement:
It is easy for youth to get marijuana.
YRBS data: 70% of students think it would be easy to get marijuana
Contributing Factors:
- Easy to grow in this environment
- Adults use and grow
- It is a source of income for people
- Lack of community involvement and connection
MARIJUANA
Problem Statement:
It is socially acceptable to use marijuana.
Community Survey Data:
48% of adults said that marijuana is a part of social activities.
Contributing Factors:
- People accept or tolerate the use of marijuana
- Stress and mental health issues
- Parents use with youth
- Parents/adults don’t understand the risk for teens using (pot is different now)
- Norms are unclear – parents use and many think “at least my kid is not doing heroin”
MARIJUANA
Problem Statement:
Youth don’t think they will be cite for using marijuana
Contributing factors:
- Confusion related to legalization – decriminalization, medical marijuana, recreation use
- Unclear laws
- Minimal law enforcement
ALCOHOL
Problem Statement:
Alcohol is easy to get.
YRBS data:
77% of students think it would be easy to get alcohol.
Contributing Factors:
- Inexpensive
- Available in homes (parent survey – 30% allow child to drink at home at least a little, 13% know of other parents who host parties where alcohol is available)
- They get adults to purchase it for them
- Available at all the small local stores
- Can buy singles
- Alcoholic beverages now more appealing to youth – lemon aid, ice tea, cider, etc.
- In powder form
- Part of the norm for social events (75% of community members say that alcohol is a central part of social activities sometimes or most of the time)
ALCOHOL
Problem Statement:
Many people are struggling with feelings of hopelessness and despair
YRBS data:
27% of students said that they felt sad or hopeless for two weeks in a row in the last 12 months
Community Survey:
76% of adults said that they think there is a mental health issue in their community
Contributing Factors:
- Alcohol provides a temporary happiness or escape
- Alcohol makes you feel comfortable and disinhibited
- Alcohol numbs and medicates
- Isolation – geographically and many self-employed people with limited interactions
- Lack of jobs and poverty keeps people at home and home is a lousy place to be
- Lack of activities in the community – not enough to do
- Lack of religious feeling or connection – little hope for the future environmentally, economically, and politically
- Lack of good role models
- Lack of transportation
- Media and advertising gives the message that drinking will be fun, make you happy, and you will have great friends
TOBACCO
Problem Statement:
Too many youth still smoke and don’t think it risks their health
YRBS data:
16% of students smoked cigarettes in the last 30 days (statistically higher than the state at 13%)
60% of students think they risk harming themselves if they smoke a pack of cigarettes a day.
Contributing Factors:
- Lack of clear rules and consequences regarding use
- Lack of education around health issues associated with smoking
- Smokers hang out with smokers and distort the perception of how many people are smoking
- It is perceived as “cool” for some
- Family members smoke
- Smoking is addictive
- Smoking helps cope with stress and mental health issues
- Anti-tobacco ads (Truth ads)
- Friend disapproval keeps many from starting to smoke