Preventing Teen Substance Use in Washington State

Teen substance use can harm brain development and increase the risk of addiction later in life.¹ Nationally, over 14% of U.S. teens use alcohol or drugs.² In Washington State, the 2016 Healthy Youth Survey found that 20% of 10th grade students drink alcohol and 17% use marijuana—and these students report lower grades in school than students who don’t use those substances.³

To reduce underage use of alcohol and drugs, the Washington State Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery (DBHR) launched the Community Prevention and Wellness Initiative (CPWI) in 2011. Sarah Mariani, DBHR’s behavioral health administrator, says preventing teen substance use has a positive impact across the lifespan. “We know that delaying onset of substance use reduces the risk of addiction,” she says.

In fact, young people who start drinking before age 15 are 6 times more likely to abuse alcohol as adults than those who start drinking after age 21.⁴ “While it can be hard to measure in the short term,” Mariani says, “we are saving lives 15 or 20 years down the line.”

Building Coalitions with Local Leadership

When CPWI begins working in a community, the first step is to establish a coalition of local stakeholders. To ensure a diversity of viewpoints, coalitions must include members from 8 different sectors, including health care and law enforcement. Mariani stresses that these partners are vital to the initiative’s success. “They know how to implement programs in a way that works for their community,” she says.

A CPWI coordinator then works with the coalition to create a strategic plan for the school district. All CPWI school districts have a full-time prevention and intervention specialist who teaches life skills and substance abuse prevention courses, but the initiative also goes beyond the classroom. Other key strategies include:

• Programs for parents to improve parent-child communication
• Policy initiatives to strengthen substance abuse policies in schools and ensure equitable and effective enforcement
• Public awareness campaigns, including toolkits communities can adapt based on local priorities

Thanks to this multifaceted approach, teens see the lessons they learn in school-based programs reinforced at home and in the wider community. “You need to reach a saturation level,” Mariani explains. “That way, no matter where kids go in the community, they’re seeing that healthy messaging.”

Prioritizing High-Need Communities

Each year, CPWI updates a risk profile for each school district in the state. The risk score is based on rates of youth substance use and related indicators like graduation and drop-out rates. “We rely on this data-driven process to find and prioritize the school districts with the highest risk,” Mariani says.

Many high-need communities are located in remote, rural areas. Mallory Peak, DBHR’s communications manager, says reaching these sites can be challenging. “While there are lots of services in the Seattle area, rural areas in eastern Washington and the San Juan Islands can be difficult to get to. But many of these communities have higher rates of substance abuse.”

To ensure that resources go where they’re needed most, CPWI takes a “no school district is too small” approach and works to build capacity in high-need sites. “We can’t leave these smaller communities constantly in the dark with no resources,” Mariani says. “We go in and create the training system and technical support system to build their capacity and make them successful.”