The Way Out West (WOW) Coalition has expanded its focus to include not only underage drinking prevention but also marijuana and prescription drug awareness and prevention as a result of the findings from its 2015 WOW Coalition Needs Assessment for Buckeye, Arizona.
The assessment found that in the City of Buckeye, alcohol, marijuana and prescription drugs have a considerably higher usage rate by teens as compared to the rest of the state and other national averages. While alcohol is still the most used substance among Buckeye teenagers, the assessment results show that marijuana is easier for teens to access.
The assessment also finds:
- Among high school students in Buckeye, 31.8 percent reported using alcohol in the past 30 days compared to 24 percent of teens in Arizona.
- Among high school students in Buckeye, 16.5 percent reported using marijuana in the past 30 days compared to 13.5 percent of teens in Arizona.
- Among high school students in Buckeye, 9.4 percent reported using non-prescribed prescription medication in the past 30 days compared to 6.1 percent of teens in Maricopa County.
Other important assessment results include the percentage of teens that tried a substance at least once in their lifetime. The assessment found that 68.8 percent of 12th graders reported using alcohol at least once, 45.9 percent of 12th graders reported using marijuana at least once and 20.6 percent of 12th graders reported using prescription drugs at least once.
This assessment sent a clear message of the importance to educate both teens and parents and incorporate marijuana and prescription drugs in that education.
