Sex, drugs and milk: Behavior survey gives insight into risks for Alaska teens

Fewer students this year reported having had sex, drinking alcohol or using drugs like cocaine, heroin or marijuana — and also, fewer are drinking milk. Questions about these activities are posed to high school students every two years using the Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Alaska is one of the 39 states participating that survey nearly 15,000 students.

However, one disturbing result was one in seven high school students — about 14 percent reported misusing prescription pain medicine. Now, we do not know if that is an increase or decrease, because this was the first time the question was asked to them using the term "pain medicine" instead of more generic prescription drug language. What we do know is 80 percent of all new heroin users started with prescription opioid pain medication. Most of those prescriptions were obtained from friends, parents and grandparents. Those friends could have very well obtained those prescriptions from their parents or grandparents. That suggests those prescriptions were stolen, not prescribed, to the students.

The question becomes, why are students using prescription opioids not prescribed to them in the first place? What we do know is trauma, mental health and poverty are the three main drivers of substance abuse. In addition, the survey revealed a growing sense of fear and despair among students in the U.S. The number of students who reported feelings of sadness or hopelessness, suicidal thoughts and days absent from school out of fear of violence or bullying have all increased since 2007. The increases have been for ninth through 12th grades with both male and female students.

These numbers are deeply worrisome, as they should be. We know high school students are using prescription pain medicine. Specifically, are they using opioids to numb the emotional pain of the persistent feelings of fear and hopelessness? In 2017, nearly 14 percent of students had actually made a suicide "plan," up from 11 percent in 2007. And 17 percent had "considered' suicide." These numbers are very disturbing, a terrifying trend.

At MyHouse in Wasilla, a homeless youth drop-in center, the data is startling regarding trauma, mental health and abuse. Thirty-six percent of the homeless young people surveyed stated they left home due to their parents' substance abuse or mental health issues. The number jumps to 68 percent leaving home due to inflicted physical, emotional or sexual abuse and neglect.

The time spent on the streets has a direct impact of a youth's downward spiral into substance abuse, prostitution and/or sex trafficking. I suspect these numbers would be similar with homeless youth whether in Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau or other Alaska communities. These are very dark and dangerous behaviors that can lead to a dead end.

There is light at the end of the tunnel with agencies like MyHouse, Covenant House, The Door and other youth resource and recreation centers across Alaska, making direct connections with youth. All communities can support youth, whether in need of shelter, school, employment and especially building vital relationships, if their families are not able to create a safe, stable and healthy home. Let's ensure we care for them. They are all our children.

We know the data shows family support and attention by parents makes a huge difference. We need to support our families. School districts need the resources to offer support with teaching coping skills for bullying and dating violence. We all need to help youth build positive, social connections and relationships. Also, adults and youth can all be trained in bystander intervention training, the Green Dot program and No More.

We have to be aware of the risk of trauma and mental health issues that can lead to risky behaviors and violence for all students. We need more and deeper subject matter in health classes (sex, drugs and self-care) for students regarding all the issues they are faced every day, at school, at home and in their communities.

Prevention strategies and education are the leading edge to avoiding risky behaviors. We want to delay the initiation of drug use (primary prevention) while the adolescent brain is developing. And, we need to address the most urgent issues (trauma, mental health and poverty) with those at-risk students and intervene with support and counseling. If drug education information is presented in an honest and factual format about drugs and brain development, it can produce the desired outcome to help youth understand their adolescent brain development and the risk of addiction. Scare tactics don't work!

By building protective factors, resiliency and connections for supportive relationships, it will ensure all students have the tools and the compass to navigate their environments. All of our communities need to value prevention and sex, drug and self-care education. Our job as parents, teachers, pastors, youth leaders and coaches is to create safe and healthy attachments for all children.

In short, everyone is a stakeholder when it comes to our youth. I believe we need to respond now and do the right thing for them. They are our leaders of tomorrow. Teach and treat them well.

Michael P. Carson serves as a vice president and recovery specialist at MyHouse (907-373-HELP) and is chairman of the Mat-Su Opioid Task Force.

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