Teens in East Indiana are drinking more and smoking more than the average Indiana student, according to a new survey by the Indiana Prevention Resource Center.
The 25th annual Indiana Youth Survey, conducted by the Indiana Prevention Resource Center, found an “alarming” rate of e-cigarette use and above state average cigarette use in nearly all grades from six to 12 in the East region of Indiana, of which the survey groups Grant County in, though the survey does not specify percentages specifically in each county.
Cigarette and e-cigarette use in the East region increases with grade level, with 2.1 percent of sixth grade students in the state reporting monthly use of cigarettes, 4.8 percent in seventh grade, 7.8 percent in eighth grade, 9.4 percent in ninth grade, 11.7 percent in 10th grade, 14.5 percent in 11th grade and 16.5 percent in 12th grade. All of those percentages are above state averages.
The percentage of East region students reporting monthly use of e-cigarettes is higher in each grade than reported monthly cigarette use. A little under six percent of 7th grade reported use of e-cigarettes, 12.5 percent in eighth grade, 18 percent in ninth grade, 18.8 percent in 10th grade, 21.5 percent in 11th grade and 27.6 percent in 12th grade. Again, all percentages were above the state average.
The 2015 survey results are based on responses from 111,585 students at 324 public and private schools in Indiana. According to EducationBug.org, there are over 2,000 public schools in Indiana.
Carole Nowicke, a research associate for the Indiana Prevention Resource Center, said the high percentage of students reporting use of e-cigarettes was troubling.
“A lot of those have a high level of nicotine in them, and they have very low regulation,” she said.
The companies selling e-cigarettes market the product as a safer alternative to cigarettes since most of them don’t have carcinogens in them, but though no longitudinal studies have been done given the products relative newness, the World Health Organization has said the lack of regulation leads to uncertainty over what actually is in e-cigarettes.
Other reported drug use, such as reported heroin use among students in the East region is often higher or on par with the state average with the only expectation being 11th grade where East region use is 0.1 percent lower than the state average.
Brian McLane, juvenile magistrate of Grant County, said the increase in heroin and synthetic marijuana use he’s seen this year among juveniles has him concerned. McLane said the use of heroin among juveniles locally isn’t rampant, but that he’s seen seven juveniles so far this year test positive for heroin use.
“When you see that, it’s not a good sign because it’s often a long road to recovery,” he said. “Occasionally we get a child that says ‘I have a problem,” and that’s often the first step to recovery, but it’s less common than the parents asking for help.”
The survey did show students, in general, were drinking less than previous years, but, again, in most cases East region alcohol use was higher than state averages in all but three – 11th, 12th and seventh – grades.
McLane said he doesn’t see a lot of alcohol dependent issues among juveniles here locally, but that he still sees “some.”
Nowicke said the survey is done each year to show the progress and where improvement can be made because students who pick up drug use habits early usually carry those into the adult world.
That is something McLane said he sees often.
“Juvenile court is mainly focused on rehabilitation, and it’s great to see that work, but it’s often the case children go through juvenile and then adult probation, and then that’s where I start thinking ‘Man, was there something more we could’ve done?’” he said.