Marijuana Policy Project

Local teens' use of alcohol and marijuana has dropped by a third in the last decade, while tobacco use is down more than 25 percent, according to a new report.

"The message is that prevention works," said Holly J. Molony, executive director of the Coalition for a Drug-Free Greater Cincinnati. "Communities are effective, parents are particularly effective, and we can change this outcome."

The survey, which is administered nationally, looks at students' use of alcohol, tobacco, marijuana and other illegal drugs. It also looks at what factors influence students' decision to use.

"The results help paint the picture of youth substance abuse," Molony said. "The findings help direct our efforts to where we can be the most effective."

Among the local findings:

Alcohol use overall has dropped by 33 percent in the last 10 years, but use of wine coolers increased slightly from 2006 to 2008, from 12.5 percent of survey participants to 13.2 percent. The largest percentage of students - 15.3 percent - reported drinking beer on a monthly basis.

Tobacco use has dropped 28 percent since 1998, while cigarette use has decreased 47 percent.

Marijuana use has dropped by a third, from 15.7 percent in 2000 to 10.4 percent last year. It's an important indicator because it's often linked to further use of illegal drugs, Molony said.

Alcohol was considered a health hazard by the smallest percentage of teens, at 70.4 percent.

"It's a tough one," Molony said. "Alcohol is a legal substance. There's lots of advertising around alcohol, and there's lots of cultural expectations around the use of alcohol."

The survey is just beginning to look at patterns of prescription drug abuse, an emerging area of concern. It's a difficult issue for prevention organizations and parents to wrap their arms around, Molony said.

"We know it's out there, and it's a new question for us and everyone else," she said. "It's tricky, because kids don't perceive prescription drugs as an illegal substance. It's perceived as safer."

The report, released Monday, looks at data from the last five PRIDE Student Drug Use Surveys, last administered in 2008. Last year, more than 54,300 students in grades 7-12 took the survey, which was administered at 133 schools throughout Northern Kentucky, southern Indiana and Greater Cincinnati.