2270 Highway 133
Carbondale, CO 81623
January 2015
Volume 8 Issue 4
The Rampage
Drugs, sex, and alcohol:
Healthy Kids survey results revealed
-Fiona Laird and Tavia Teitler
In fall of 2013, RFHS students, along with other middle and high school students across the state, took the Healthy Kids Colorado Survey (HKCS). This survey collected information about various health topics, including nutrition, drug and alcohol use, and sexual health (of high school students only). The survey results were recently released to
each school and school district in the state. The purpose of the HKCS is to determine the health priorities in our state and to use those results to create plans to improve areas of concern. Students’ marijuana usage comprised one noteworthy category on the survey. According to the health survey, 49.1% of RFHS students have ever used marijuana, and 26.3% have used marijuana in the past 30 days. These numbers are considerably higher than the state’s with 31% and 19.7% respectively. Principal Drew Adams found this data “surprising.” HKCS also reported that 70.3% of students have ever consumed alcohol and 38.2% have consumed alcohol in the past 30 days, compared to the state’s 60.1% and 31%. A possible explanation for the differences in these results is Carbondale’s rural setting, as this difference in rates is not specific to Carbondale. The Rural Assistance Center found that “rates of binge alcohol use among youths aged 12 to 17 were 9.2% in nonmetropolitan areas, 6.8% in small metropolitan areas, and 6.9% in large metropolitan areas.” These results, while considerably lower, closely mimic the HKCS results. The higher drunk driving rates (shown in the “Alcohol” graphic) may be due to the fact that there are few other alternative transportation potions in our valley.
Interestingly, the survey findings differ considerably from the perceptions students have of their peers’ drug and alcohol use. In a survey conducted in an Advisory class regarding the results from HKCS, students were asked to estimate the RFHS results. For marijuana usage and most other categories, including tobacco use, alcohol usage and sexual intercourse, most students believed the percentages of students who engaged in those activi-
ties to be much higher than the actual results. Senior Abe Hernandez questioned the results because he thought it was unrealistic to expect students to share the details of their personal lives in the school environment, especially details--like drug and alcohol usage--that would normally get students in trouble. “The survey was way too per-
The fact that some students doubted the veracity of the survey could be proof of the psychological effect called “confirmation bias.” Confirmation bias is the tendency to search for, remember, or interpret information in a way that confirms one’s beliefs or hypotheses. In other words, some students failed to believe the survey results they perceive that“everyone is doing it.” Beyond the drug and alcohol data, the HKCS also revealed that 10.1% of students at RFHS have seriously considered suicide. This translates to about 27 students out of the 273 that participated in the survey. The state percentage is even higher at 14.5%. This is arguably one of the most important findings of the survey because it brings awareness to the fact that there are many students struggling with suicidal thoughts. Andrea Pazdera, counselor from the Aspen Hope Center, has been working at RFHS for the past year and is familiar with these issues. She provides counseling and therapy for almost any issue students face, from suicidal thoughts to drug and alcohol addiction. Pazdera said that the survey results, “fit with [her] life experience.” “Being a teenager is challenging,” commented Pazdera. Between figuring out your identity and balancing other demands, “when pressures or problems...arise, it’s not uncommon for teenagers to struggle,” she said. In terms of next steps, Mr. Adams anticipates using the data to stregthen a grant application for a health clinic for next school year and working with the staff to create awareness and support for the challenges that some of our students face. This
sonal,” Hernandez said. “And it’s easy to skew the results if some students aren’t honest.” Although there is certainly room for error in the survey results, students’ responses to the data still unearth an interesting dynamic: students believe that more of their peers are participating in these activities than survey results show.
school year, “I’d like to see students have a chance to have deeper conversations about this data,” he said. These survey results provide important information about our school and will hopefully result in more support for any needs students may have in health-related realms.