Grafton Students' Drinking, Smoking Down, On Devices More: Survey

GRAFTON, MA—While smoking and drinking for Grafton's students has seen a marked dip, the students are spending a lot more time on their devices as compared to others across the state and country, according to a new report released by the Worcester Division of Public Health through the Worcester Health Alliance.

"I was not surprised by the results of the report," Superintendent of Grafton Schools Jay Cummings told Patch. "We participate in this study every two years and it provides an excellent snapshot of trends in comparison to other schools in the area. "

The questionnaire was designed to gather information on the important issues facing Grafton youth and in towns and cities in the Central Massachusetts Regional Public Health Alliance (CMRPHA) district, said the report. Topics include substance use, violence and safety, dietary behavior, and sexual health. This is the third time Grafton has participated, the first in 2013.

The Grafton News has shared the 2017 Youth Health Survey for Grafton, which you can find here.

Overall, 745 students in grades 9-12 participated in the survey this year, which accounts for 91 percent of the total enrolled.

According to the survey, students are stamping out their butts, with a decrease of tobacco use of 58 percent since 2013. Grafton students report lower than state average of 56 of those ever having alcohol, with Grafton at 53 percent. That's dropped significantly - some 40 percent - since 2013. From 2015 to 2017, the number of students who tried e-vaping dropped, too, from 37 percent to 31 percent.

Grafton students are, however, on their devices more than others nationally and statewide. Those who report spending three or more hours of screen time during school has risen from 51 percent in 2013 to 63 percent in the 2017 report. That, too, is much higher than the state average of 48 percent.

"A lot has changed over the past ten years," said Cummings. "The 24-7 nature of social media, the emergence of vaping, and a substantial increase in the social-emotional needs of students are just some of the areas in which we have seen changes over the past decade. We continue to struggle to add resources in this area, but we certainly aspire to. For example, in the coming year, we will be asking for the creation of a counselor position at the elementary school. Currently, we don't have any counselors at that level."

According to the report, there were "no clear trends observed in measures of emotional health from 2013-2017 for Grafton High School students. There are modest increases in rates around measures of depression and suicidal ideation among Grafton youth in 2017 as compared with 2013 and 2015."

"Measures around violence" either stayed the same or decreased since 2013. The percentage of youth in Grafton who reported carrying a weapon in the past 30 days of taking the survey is less than the regional average of 11 percent and the national average of 15.7 percent, said the report.

Cummings said that the Coalition for a Healthy Grafton has been an important addition to the community. Made up of parents, health care providers, police, community members and school representatives, the group works to support a comprehensive approach to increasing the health of Grafton's youth.

"The schools are constantly working to help students make good decisions and to fully understand the consequences and dangers associated with poor decisions," said Cummings. "We are also focused on ensuring that all students are connected to numerous adults."

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