While still higher than the state average, youth alcohol and cigarette use in Tooele County is on the decline, according to the 2009 Prevention Needs Assessment conducted by the state Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health.

The survey, which is conducted every other year, includes data from all students in sixth to 12th grade in the Tooele County School District. The district attempts to survey all students so the results will be as reliable as possible.

This year, 4,510 students in sixth through 12th grades took the survey, which has 150 questions and takes 50 minutes to complete, in March. The survey is designed with built-in validity tests that eliminate surveys where students are dishonest about their answers.

The results are used by school and community prevention specialist to measure success, evaluate new trends that need to be addressed, and to apply for state and federal grants to fund prevention programs.

“We are excited by the positive trend,” said Julie Spindler, prevention specialist with Valley Mental Health in Tooele. “But we still have work to do.”

Starting in sixth grade, students who reported lifetime alcohol use — more than just a few sips of beer, wine or liquor on one or more occasions — fell from 13 percent in 2005 to 9 percent in 2009. The state average for sixth grade is 6.9 percent.

Eighth grade lifetime alcohol use fell from 22 percent in 2005 to 18 percent in 2009. However, the state average for eighth grade is 10 percent.

In 10th grade, lifetime alcohol use fell from 50 percent in 2005 to 40 percent in 2009. The state average is 30 percent.

In 12th grade, the lifetime alcohol use rate dropped from 52 percent in 2005 to 46 percent in 2009. The state average is 37 percent.

Cigarette use also showed a similar decline in all grades, the largest being among high school seniors where the lifetime use of cigarettes fell from 39 percent in 2005 to 27 percent is 2009. The state average is 21 percent.

Spindler said the changes indicate that the combined efforts of prevention workers throughout the county, including schools, Valley Mental Health, the Tooele County Health Department, Communities that Care, law enforcement and others, are working.

“While we may still be ahead of the state average in some areas, in others we are about the same,” Spindler said. “We also are trending downward, which means we are going in the right direction.”

The survey also points out areas that need attention. One of those, according to Spindler, is marijuana use.

The percentage of eighth-grade students who reported using marijuana in the last 30 days increased from 6 to 8 percent — a significant upward trend.

While cigarette use is decreasing, the use of smokeless tobacco products is on the rise in some age groups. In 10th grade, the use of smokeless tobacco went up from 3 percent in 2005 to 5 percent in 2009.

The survey also revealed that 19 percent of high school juniors went to school drunk or high at least once in the last year.

In addition, the survey indicated discipline in junior highs throughout the county has improved. In 2007, 67 percent of eighth-graders agreed or strongly agreed with the statement, “My teachers maintain good discipline in the classroom.” That number increased to 80 percent in 2009.

Tim Gillie: tgillie@tooeletranscript.com