Finding Local Data on Substance Use Now Is Easier than Ever
In addition to the compelling drinking and driving data noted in the post below, numerous other substance use indicators also were added to kidsdata.org recently. These data also originated from the California Healthy Kids Survey (CHKS), which was developed and is administered by WestEd for the California Department of Education. Below are a few highlights for the state of California for the 2006-2008 reporting period. See all topics to view these student self-report data for your county or school district.
- 24% of 11th-grade boys and 21% of 11th-grade girls reported binge drinking in the past month before they took the survey.
- More than one-third of 11th-graders in the state report smoking marijuana at least once
- More than one in eight 11th-graders smoked cigarettes at least once in the past month before taking the survey.
- California students in 7th, 9th, and 11th grades are more likely to use alcohol than tobacco or other drugs.
- Students who report feeling less connected to their schools report higher levels of alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use.
For school districts and counties across California, these data are broken down by grade, gender, and students’ feelings of connectedness to their school, making CHKS an essential tool to researchers, policy makers, and those who work directly with kids in assessing how California’s adolescents are faring.
To be notified when these or any other data on kidsdata.org are updated, sign up for e-mail alerts.
Tags: New Data, Statewide Expansion
Posted by Felicity Simmons
This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 30th, 2010 at 4:32 pm. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.