2013–2014 New York State Youth Development Survey
Review the 2013–2014 Pride New York State Development Survey, Chautauqua County Summary of Highlights.
Results for Chautauqua County Students Grades 6–12
49.9% of Chautauqua County 12th graders and 33.9% of students in grade 10 reported using alcohol in the past 30 days.
27.3% of 12th graders indicated they exhibited binge drinking behavior, which means to drink five or more drinks in one sitting during the past two weeks.
41.5% of Chautauqua County 12th graders and 37.3% of students in grades 6–12 perceive alcohol use as low or no risk.
The 6th–12th graders surveyed noted that regular use of alcohol started at an average age of onset of 14.8 years.
For students in grades 6–12, the average age of first use for alcohol and marijuana was 13.2 and 13.8 respectively.
32.1% of the students believe that it is relatively easy to obtain alcohol, marijuana and other illegal drugs. The availability of cigarettes, alcohol, marijuana, and other illegal drugs has been related to the use of these substances by adolescents.
38.7% of 10th graders and 35.4% of 12th graders say they have friends who engage in alcohol or substance use. Young people who associate with peers who engage in alcohol or substance use are much more likely to engage in the same behavior. Peer drug use has consistently been found to be among the strongest predictors of substance use among youth. Even when young people come from well-managed families and do not experience other risk factors, spending time with friends who use alcohol and other drugs greatly increases the risk of that problem developing.