Posted on 08/08/2020 11:03:43 AM PDT by NobleFree
Newly-released data shows the majority of Colorado’s youth are participating in healthy behaviors and that marijuana use among school-aged children has not significantly changed since legalization.
The data comes from the bi-annual statewide Healthy Kids Colorado Survey (HKCS) conducted last year with more than 100,000 students participating. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) released the results of the survey Monday.
The survey shows marijuana use among school-aged kids has stayed relatively flat since legalization, but the way kids are using marijuana has changed. In 2019, 20.6% of youth said they use marijuana compared to 19.4% in 2017. More youth are now vaping marijuana -- 10.6% in 2019 compared to 5.1% in 2015. Dabbing rose from 4.3% in 2015 to 20.4% in 2019.
A troubling finding in the survey shows more youth are experiencing depression, but the percentage of youth who have seriously considered suicide and attempted suicide has not changed. In 2019, 34.7% of youth reported feeling so sad or hopeless, up from 31.4% in 2017 and 29.5% in 2015.
The results indicate that children experience less mental health problems and avoid unhealthy behaviors when they have access to trusted adults, a stable family life and safe schools, according CDPHE analysis of the survey results.
Other highlights of the survey include:
Tobacco use/Vaping: In Colorado, the percent of youth who vape has not significantly changed since 2015, and cigarette use is declining. In 2019, 5.7% of youth reported smoking cigarettes compared to 7.2% in 2017. In 2019, 25.9% of youth reported vaping compared to 27.0% in 2017. This is not a statistically significant change. The percent of youth who think vaping is risky rose 23.2% between 2017 and 2019
Sexual health: The percent of youth who have had sex has not significantly changed since 2015. In 2019, 24.6% of youth said they were sexually active. Of those youth, 59.4% used a condom the last time they had sex, 79.2% used birth control, and 78.5% said they didn’t use drugs or alcohol before sex.
Healthy Eating: In Colorado, sugary beverage consumption by youth is decreasing. In 2019, 14.4% of youth consumed more than one soda per day in the last week compared to 15.8% in 2017. The percent of youth who are overweight or obese has not significantly changed since 2015.
Substance use: Youth who report that they use alcohol (29.6%), marijuana (20.6%), or vape (25.9%) has not significantly changed since 2015. Cigarette use among youth has decreased from 7.2% in 2017 to 5.7% in 2019.
Protective factors: Most youth in Colorado reported having a trusted adult to go to for help. In 2019, 72.7% of youth report having a trusted adult to go to for help with a serious problem, 87.4% of youth think their family has clear rules about alcohol and drug use, and 86.2% of youth report feeling safe at school.
When I see evidence that data from the Colorado Department of Health is bad, I’ll acknowledge it. Guilt by association is not evidence.
LOL I used to post all the links to the studies, etc. but you never bothered to look at them.
“Not sure 1% is insignificant.”
Firstly, it’s not 1%. It is 1 *percentage point,* which is a horse of a different color.
Secondly, to determine significance, one needs to use an analysis of variance or a chi square, or some other test of statistical significance.
“I keep on telling the potheads”
You keep being too lazy to support your claims.
” I used to post all the links to the studies, etc.”
ROTFL! More baseless claims from you.
I didn't say that the data was bad. I did say that the data wasn't reliable.
Do you know the difference?
Places that legalized it thought they would make BILLIONS ,LOL
Every dollar spent on legal pot is a dollar not placed in criminal hands.
In what sense am I proposing we “rely” on this data?
>>Every dollar spent on legal pot is a dollar not placed in criminal hands.
Adults who sell pot, tobacco, or alcohol to teens are criminals.
And:
https://insight.livestories.com/s/v2/substance-use-after-marijuana-legalization/be43094c-9e83-4780-8c9b-ebf66407b0cf/
https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-viz-met-colorado-legal-marijuana-by-the-numbers-htmlstory.html
Crime Pot grown illegally on public lands — an indicator for the size of the black market — also is on the rise with 80,926 plants seized in 2017, a 73 percent increase in five years. Organized crime cases almost tripled in five years, increasing to 119 in 2017 from 31 in 2012. Health Rates of hospitalization with possible marijuana exposures increased steadily from 2000 through 2015.
The number of adults who use marijuana increased between 2014 and 2017, with men getting high more often than women and young adults ages 18 to 25 the most frequent users.
The biggest evidence is that average IQ test results in Colorado have gone down by 10 points.
Not relevant to the point to which I was responding: “Places that legalized it thought they would make BILLIONS”.
“average IQ test results in Colorado have gone down by 10 points.”
BS.
Good, then we agree.
Same numbers as this article, minus the understanding of statistical significance.
And:
https://insight.livestories.com/s/v2/substance-use-after-marijuana-legalization/be43094c-9e83-4780-8c9b-ebf66407b0cf/
In the states where use rose from 2011-2016, legal sale started between 2014 and 2016 - so what this data actually shows is that legal sale has no effect on use trends.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-viz-met-colorado-legal-marijuana-by-the-numbers-htmlstory.html
13.6% to 15.5% adult use is not "skyrocketed."
Crime Pot grown illegally on public lands — an indicator for the size of the black market
A black market that includes every non-legalizing state.
possible marijuana exposures increased
"Possible exposure" is a far cry from "causative agent."
CO, CA, and WA have each cleared the $1B mark in lifetime pot tax revenue.
School councilors and resource officers say kids show up at school under the influence and the high schools don’t have an agreement to report it so the kids are just kept safe until they come down. With pot more easily obtainable, the high schoolers have a choice to make: Algebra or pot? Civics or pot? U.S. History or pot....
My point is that our society does not value truth anymore. I would bet that a lot of teens lie on these surveys just because they can. There is no benefit to them to answer truthfully. Personally, I would assume that any “anonymous” survey can actually be traced back to the individuals who took it - especially government surveys.
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