Power of Choice Update: Local District 203 & 204 Longitudinal Data
Annually, beginning in 2003, the Power of Choice surveys the entire student body at Central, North, Metea, Neuqua, and Waubonsie regarding their use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. We found the majority of our students were making healthy choices regarding the use of cigarettes and alcohol. Over the past seven years from 2003 to 2010, we have seen these results:
Percentage of students who were:
¨ cigarette-free in the last 30 days increased by 7%.
¨ cigarette-free in the past year increased by 9.5%.
¨ alcohol-free in the last 30 days increased by 10%.
¨ alcohol-free in the past year increased by 13%.
The Correlation Between 30 day Use and High-Risk Behaviors
There has been an increase of 10 percentage points in the category of 30 day alcohol-free students. So what does that mean? What difference does it make if an additional 1400 plus students have been alcohol-free in the past thirty days?
The annual survey in District 203 & 204 does not include questions regarding other high risk behaviors. But, if we look at other communities and states across the country who survey about a range of adolescent health issues we can see the connection.
Research indicates that students who have drunk alcohol in the last thirty days are much more likely to engage in other high-risk behaviors. They are more likely to smoke cigarettes and use marijuana. They are more likely to be in physical fights. They are more likely to be sexually active, which leads to a greater incidence of sexually transmitted diseases and unplanned pregnancy.
An increase in the number of students who are alcohol-free in the last 30 days impacts other significant areas of health.
Results of a Five Year Controlled Study on the Effects of an Alcohol-Focused Social Norms Campaign Targeting High School Students
The five year study conducted by the Center for Prevention Research and Development at the University of Illinois followed the class of 2008 from freshman through senior year in our schools and in a control school. Our students had lower rates of alcohol use compared to the control school during their sophomore, junior and senior years, despite starting at a significantly higher level of consumption during their freshman year.
Over time, there has been a gradual shift in student perceptions and significant increases in the number of students reporting being alcohol-free and tobacco-free. It is extremely rare at the secondary education level to have evidence of positive impact from alcohol abuse prevention efforts, so we are very excited to share this good news.
State and National Comparisons
During the same time period, the number of cigarette-free students continued to increase on the state and national level in a pattern similar to our local data.
While the number of alcohol-free students also increased on the state and national level, the local data shows an increase almost double that of the state findings.
Effecting Positive Change
The Power of Choice, thanks to the partnership with Districts 203 & 204, has positive outcome data. CENSUS outcome data gathered from all students over a period of seven years. Nationwide it is extremely rare for school districts and researchers to have annual census data regarding substance use collected and analyzed using the best scientific research tools available. Our research is done by the University of Illinois. It is even less common for researchers to follow a specific project, like The Power of Choice, over time (with a control group study and longitudinal data) and have the data reveal that the project is effecting positive healthy changes in tobacco and alcohol use rates among high school students.
Sources: District 203 & 204 Drug Use & Perception Survey 2003-2010, Monitoring the Future 2003-2008, and Illinois Youth Survey 2002-2010.
