(Chelsea Update would like to thank Rebecca Jaskot for the information in this story.)
This fall, SRSLY Chelsea launched its 2018 Positive Social Norming Campaign, SRSLY? Check Your Stats, to reduce feelings of peer pressure by challenging the myth that a majority of teens drink alcohol, use tobacco, smoke marijuana and abuse prescription medications. The campaign is intended to help teens feel less pressure to use drugs or alcohol by providing them with facts about how many of their peers are actually using.
“The data regarding teen substance use in Chelsea is very clear,” said Michaela Buckhannon, SRSLY Chelsea’s Project Success counselor. “More and more, our young people are choosing to live their lives clean and substance free. Knowing this, we hope those faced with similar choices can remain strong in the face of peer pressure and feel empowered to make good decisions.”
SRSLY? Check Your Stats is intended to educate adults and youth in the community and challenge misconceptions with facts presented by the 2018 Michigan Profile for Healthy Youth Survey (MiPHY). The survey is conducted every two years through the Michigan Department of Education with students in grades 7, 9 and 11.
The 2018 Chelsea MiPHY survey results on drug use in the past 30 days show that 83% of students have not consumed alcohol, 86% have not used marijuana, 95% have not abused prescription drugs, and 98% have not used a tobacco product. Since 2007, MiPHY data shows that Chelsea students consuming alcohol within the past 30 days has dropped by 42%. Within the same timeline, marijuana usage decreased by 13%, prescription drug abuse decreased by 57%, and use of tobacco products decreased by 37%.
The MiPHY data shows that nine out of ten Chelsea students have a friend committed to being drug free and that 86% disapprove of their peers using alcohol, tobacco, marijuana or other drugs. The survey also shows that 87% of Chelsea students enjoy spending time with their parents.
Among Chelsea youth, the only exception to the trend of reduced substance use is use of electronic cigarette products (including e-cigarettes, e-cigars, e-pipes, vape pipes, vaping pens, e-hookahs, and hookah pens). The MiPHY survey shows that 28% of Chelsea students report usage of these products within the past 30 days.
To review local MiPHY survey results, please visit SRSLY? Check Your Stats at https://www.srslychelsea.org.
