Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention (AODP)
Survey of Adolescent Health Behaviors
According to a 1998 survey of Washington State students, the proportion of students in grades 8, 10 and 12 who have ever smoked cigarettes, drank alcohol or smoked marijuana rose to above national averages.i
Cigarette Use:
- Among 8th graders, 48.2% of Washington students smoked a cigarette compared to 47.3% nationally.
- Among 10th graders, 63.4% of Washington students smoked a cigarette compared to 63.4% nationally.
- Among 12th graders, 68.4% of Washington students smoked a cigarette compared to 65.4% nationally.
Alcohol Use:
- Among 8th graders, 62.7% of Washington students reported ever having more than a sip of alcohol compared to 53.8% nationally.
- Among 10th graders, 79.7% of Washington students reported ever having more than a sip of alcohol compared to 72.0% nationally.
- Among 12th graders, 84.2% of Washington students reported ever having more than a sip of alcohol compared to 81.7% nationally.
Marijuana Use:
- Among 8th graders, 28.2% of Washington students reported ever trying marijuana compared to 22.6% nationally.
- Among 10th graders, 49.5% of Washington students reported ever trying marijuana compared to 42.3% nationally.
- Among 12th graders, 55.1% of Washington students reported ever trying marijuana compared to 49.6% nationally.
A lower percent of Washington state students perceive heavy alcohol use as harmful compared with students nationally. For example, in 1998, approximately 38% of 8th and 10th graders in Washington perceived great risk from heavy alcohol drinking compared with mroe than one-half of these students at the national level.ii
Among high school seniors, the gap closed to 38.5% of Washington State 12th graders compared to the 43.0% 12th graders nationally.iii
A lower percent of Washington state students perceive occasional marijuana use as harmful compared with students nationally. In 1998, 35.7% of 8th graders, 24.1% of 10th graders, and 20.2% of 12th graders in Washington perceived great risk from occasional marijuana use compared with students at the national level (43.1%, 31.9%, and 24.7%, respectively).iv
Results from the 1998 Washington State Survey of Adolescent Health Behaviors showed the following:
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Alcohol Use
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Sixth Graders
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Eighth Graders
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Tenth Graders
|
|
King Co. (n=3,394)
|
WA State (n=3,822)
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King Co. (n=2,934)
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WA State (n=3,993)
|
King Co. (n=2,321)
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WA State (n=3,946)
|
| No use |
56.9% |
59.9% |
38.6% |
36.8% |
23.7% |
19.8% |
| Prior use |
28.5% |
25.9% |
32.6% |
31.8% |
35.3% |
34.9% |
| Some recent use (used in past 30 days) |
12.7% |
11.8% |
22.5% |
23.8% |
31.9% |
33.4% |
Frequent use
(used 10 or more times or 3 or more binges in past 30 days |
1.8% |
2.4% |
6.3% |
7.7% |
9.0% |
11.9% |
i Beretta, Gina R. and Stark, Kenneth. Tobacco, Alcohol, and Other Drug Abuse Trends in Washington State, 1999 Report, January 1999. P.3 to 23.
ii Beretta and Stark. January 1999. Ibid. P. 18 to 19.
iii Beretta and Stark. January 1999. Ibid. P. 20 to 21
iv Beretta, Gina R. and Stark, Kenneth. Tobacco, Alcohol, and Other Drug Abuse Trends in Washington State, 1999 Report, January 1999, p.19.
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related sites
Campus Tobacco 101 - Who's Being Smoked?
Public Health's Tobacco Prevention Program staff visited 7 local area community colleges to ask students about the use of tobacco on campus.
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 Trail to Treatment (Adobe PDF format)
Trail to Treatment is a guidebook for outreach workers, case managers, counselors and other frontline staff who refer adults to drug and alcohol treatment. It contains information that will help you and your clients access treatment.
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