The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
GCSAPP numbers indicate alcohol and marijuana use down, but vaping is up
by Mark Reaman
The substance use and abuse profile of the Gunnison Valley shows drugs and alcohol are perceived as highly available for adults and kids, and substances are generally viewed in a favorable light. This can lead to substance abuse problems and concerns with mental health issues in the broader community.
The Gunnison County Substance Abuse Prevention Project (GCSAPP) compiled the community profile and recently shared the findings with the Crested Butte Town Council.
“Using the strategic framework from the group Communities That Care, we use the data to understand the community profile and ultimately reduce the risk factors when possible and boost protective factors for our kids,” explained GCSAPP director Kari Commerford.
The profile was compiled using information from several state and local surveys. Commerford said the data contains both good and bad news for the students in the Gunnison and Crested Butte schools. While the perception of students is that the community has an overwhelmingly high acceptance for alcohol and marijuana, there is less tolerance for tobacco use. All the substances are not difficult to obtain but student use of all three has either stayed the same or gone down over the last several years.
“A place we see growing problems is with vaping,” said Commerford. “Colorado leads in youth vaping rates and that is not a good thing. Students feel that vaping is safer than tobacco use. Only 49 percent feel that vaping products are harmful, compared to more than 90 percent who feel tobacco is harmful.”
Vaping products are not currently regulated by the FDA; most contain nicotine, which is known to be harmful to the developing brain.
Binge drinking by both adults and students is somewhat common in the community, according to the data. About 32 percent of local adults admit they had five or more drinks in a single day at some point in the last month. About 20 percent of students admit to binge drinking.
“Binge drinking is a concern from a community health standpoint; it is associated with more problematic substance behaviors, increased violence potential and health concerns,” said Commerford.
About 20 percent of local students have used marijuana in the last 30 days, down from 2010. However, while most users smoke marijuana, some also utilize edibles, vaping or dabbing (smoking a high concentration of cannabis) when consuming marijuana.
On the mental health side of the equation, Commerford stated that more students are reporting regularly feeling sad. Coupled with an increase in the adult suicide rate in the county, this is concerning.
“The number of kids who report feeling hopeless or sad has risen to about 26.8 percent,” Commerford said. In 2010 the rate was 15 percent. There are also more instances of kids who report considering suicide, 20 percent in 2017; in 2010 the rate was 12 percent.
While still under 10 percent, more students also report instances of dating violence or forced sexual intercourse.
Commerford said GCSAPP tries to get a clear picture of the community and then “focus on moving the needle” on positive experiences. She said so-called “toxic stress” can have long-term damaging impacts on the local kids. Toxic stress can occur when a person experiences strong, frequent and/or prolonged adversity such as: caregiver substance abuse or mental illness; exposure to violence (including suicide); physical or emotional abuse; and accumulated burdens of family economic hardship. In a resort community, she said, this can show up as seasonality of work.
Research has determined that four consistent experiences can help move that needle: 1) Being in a nurturing and supportive relationship; 2) Living, playing and learning in safe, equitable environments; 3) Engaging in constructive social/civic activities that develop a sense of connectedness; and 4) Developing social and emotional competencies.
Commerford said the data is encouraging for the local community in that regard. She said overall, local youth report feeling safe at school; have an adult they can go to for help with a serious problem; generally talk to their parents about substance abuse dangers; and participate in extracurricular activities.
“All of these indicate that we are doing well in utilizing the social development strategy,” Commerford’s report stated, “meaning they have strong bonds with parents and school. And strong bonds motivate young people to adopt healthy standards for behavior.”
GCSAPP is best known for organizing the “Choice Pass” that allows local kids to pledge to not use drugs or alcohol in exchange for a low-cost season ski pass. While Vail Resorts continued to support this program with its recent purchase of Crested Butte Mountain Resort, Commerford indicated there is no guarantee Vail will continue to support the community youth with this perk into perpetuity.
But she emphasized that the Choice Program is more than just the affordable ski pass. There are more than 40 local businesses that provide discounts and unique opportunities for students making the pledge. She said the program has evolved so that parents have accountability to the program through attending at least one GCSAPP education dinner.
Commerford said the growth of the Choice Pass program has resulted in more than 600 youth and families taking part in the program. Commerford said, “The Choice Pass program provides opportunities for youth to engage in healthy behaviors and develop a sense of connectedness by reducing barriers.”
Commerford notes that the success in reducing youth substance use and abuse rates and the strong protective factors in our community are a result of the many community organizations and programs that serve our youth.
