Pubdate: Mon, 21 Nov 2005 Source: Santa Cruz Sentinel (CA) Copyright: 2005 Santa Cruz Sentinel Contact: http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/394 As We See It DESPITE A VARIETY OF EFFORTS, DRUG AND ALCOHOL USE REMAINS AN ISSUE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE It has long been a mystery: Why do so many local kids take to medicating themselves with alcohol and drugs? The yearly Community Assessment Project sponsored by the United Way of Santa Cruz County was released late last week, and it showed an increase in teen substance use -- as well as an increase in smoking. There are few surprises in the report. In other areas, such as health care, employment and housing, it gives a look at Santa Cruz County that shows a community suffering from high housing prices, but one with good education and an economy that seems to be steady. But after a few years of a decrease in teen drug and alcohol use, the numbers are starting back up. That change is discouraging, because so many community groups as well as store owners and law enforcement officers have worked together to fight against underage use and abuse. The findings in the report reveal that 33 percent of ninth-graders and 47 percent of juniors drank alcohol during the previous 30 days. That compared to 25 percent and 37 percent statewide. We find those figures hard to figure out. There are some areas of the state that don't have much going on -- unlike Santa Cruz County, where there's surf and beaches and parks and plenty of outdoor recreation. Advertisement One explanation of the self-medication is that Santa Cruz County overall is extremely tolerant -- particularly about marijuana use. In the latest survey, about 80 percent of those asked found marijuana use to be either acceptable 38.4 percent or somewhat acceptable 41.1 percent. The amount of drug and alcohol use is a concern, but we give a lot of credit to the United Way and other agencies involved in the assessment project. By looking into the issue and finding pertinent data, the agency can work with other local non-profits and law enforcement to figure out strategies that might work. The assessment project helps the agencies direct available money to programs that go after the issue. It also can detail how effective these programs are. Although alcohol and drug use increased a bit in the last year, the figures had decreased in earlier years. It's our feeling that in a county with such wide acceptance of, say, marijuana use, that it's to be expected that young people will experiment. The other health challenge for young people locally is obesity and diabetes, and it appears as though local agencies are doing their part to prevent the problem. In the past six years, for example, the number of county residents who exercise at least five days a week for more than 30 minutes at a time has gone up, from 38 percent in 1999 to nearly 50 percent in 2005. There is a value in bringing these details to the public's attention. As always, this year's report was a mixture of good and bad trends. But keeping track of how we live is important, because the people of Santa Cruz County can use the data to track how we're doing -- not only in these matters, but an overall look at our community. The complete CAP report is available at appliedsurveyresearch.org. - --- MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman