By Gretchen Althoff Snyder
Parents, teachers, coaches, and administrators all need to send the clear message that there are no good drugs for adolescents.
Nearly a year after the RyeACT Coalition held its first meeting amidst serious concerns over teen drug and alcohol use, things appear to be headed in a better direction. On May 9, the Coalition presented the results of the November 2016 survey, in which 90% of Rye students in grades 7-12 participated. The results show lower rates of past 30-day alcohol use across all grade levels than in the November 2014 survey. Significantly, 53.2% of 10th graders reported using alcohol in the 2014 survey, whereas only 35.5% reported past 30-day use. The numbers for 11th graders dropped from 75.7%% to 58%. And, with the exception of 12th grade, marijuana usage decreased across all grade levels.
Despite the lower numbers, alcohol use among Rye 10th and 12th graders is substantially higher than the national averages — respectively, 35.5% versus 19.9%, and 71.7% versus 33.2%. E-cigarette usage among Rye teens is also way above the national average.
