What are the Problems In Vermont Schools?
Students at risk: The 2001 Vermont Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS)(3) gives a disturbing profile of alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use among eighth through twelfth grade students in Vermont.
% Students using the following substances during the past 30 days |
1999
|
2001
|
Used alcohol |
46 |
43 |
Smoked cigarettes |
31 |
22 |
Smoked marijuana |
30 |
26 |
Used cocaine |
5 |
4 |
In addition, during their lifetime, 15% of students have used illicit drugs such as PCP or LSD, 14% have used inhalants, and 3% have used a needle to inject illegal drugs. According to the Vermont Department of Education(4), 1,107 students were suspended and 21 were expelled for alcohol and other drug possessions during the 2000-2001 school year.
The YRBS reports on other risk behaviors as well, many of which are associated with substance use. For example, 13% of students reported making a plan about how to attempt suicide during the past year; and during the past 30 days, 8% carried weapons on school property.
Schools at Risk: Student support services not complete. According to the Vermont Department of Education(4), the percentage of schools having alcohol and other drug support services is about 80%. While this may seem like a relatively high figure, this represents schools where the alcohol, tobacco and other drug policy "...addresses the support & referral system but does not address cooperative agreements." This may be due to:
- lack of training around drug issues
- lack of funding
- teachers and school staff are already over-extended.
Communities at Risk: Another reason that student support services might be inadequate is the lack of community support. It is estimated, that substance abuse costs Vermonters $582 million each year (or about $1,000 for every Vermont resident) to pay for unnecessary health care, criminal justice expenditures, and lost productivity.
Given the demonstrated cost-effectiveness of substance abuse treatments(5), can the state and communities afford to ignore students' needs for intervention and treatment?
