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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Jan K. Carney, MD, MPH, Karen M. Garbarino, BS, MPA, Kelly Hale, MA, Marcia LaPlante, MA, and Linda Piasecki, MA. Vermont Department of Health, 108 Cherry Street, PO Box 70, Burlington, VT 05401, (802) 863-7280, jcarney@vdh.state.vt.us
Reducing smoking, alcohol, and drug use is a top priority for Vermont. The Youth Behavioral Risk Factor Survey (YRBS) measures risk behaviors among students in grade 8 through 12. The 2001 YRBS showed significant declines in risk behavior among 8th graders: alcohol use during the past 30 days decreased from 40 percent in 1995 to 23 percent in 2001; smoking during the last 30 days decreased from 29 percent in 1995 to 13 percent in 2001; marijuana use during the last 30 days decreased from 19 percent in 1997 to 10 percent in 2001. Overall (grades 8-12), smoking and alcohol use declined significantly from 1995 to 2001. Marijuana use has declined since 1997, but not significantly. Since 1995, a variety of initiatives have targeted children and adolescents to prevent substance abuse in Vermont. Stronger laws, local youth coalitions, science-based school education, and increased enforcement to prevent illegal youth access have all targeted tobacco use. In 1998, the New Directions initiative funded 23 community coalitions to conduct science-based activities to reduce alcohol and drug use. This initiative was funded by the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention through a cooperative agreement with the state of Vermont. Use of researched curricula such as Life Skills Training increased, as did numbers of local coalitions addressing tobacco, alcohol and drug use. This presentation will discuss successful prevention efforts directed at middle school ages, synergy between community efforts directed at tobacco and those directed at alcohol and other drugs, and relationships between tobacco and marijuana prevention.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Tobacco,
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.