Recent data shows that substance use of alcohol, cigarettes and marijuana, is declining among students in the Houston Independent School District (HISD) – yet there's still concern around the use of other or illicit drugs, according to a new paper from Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy.
The data comes from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) and the paper focus on the high school students of HISD, which found that nicotine vaping, methamphetamines and opioid use have increased. With today’s illicit drugs being more dangerous than ever, it’s critical to make sure lifesaving tools like naloxone are easily accessible across the Houston area, argues Katharine Neill Harris, the Alfred C. Glassell, III, Fellow in Drug Policy.
The paper argues for policy recommendations like naloxone kept on campus as well as evidence-based substance use prevention programs and supportive interventions as opposed to zero-tolerance policies. The minority of students who regularly use substances may also be experiencing mental health challenges in an effort to self-medicate, but unfortunately this can exacerbate underlying mental health problems, according to the paper.
“Teens struggling with anxiety, trauma, ADHD and other mental health problems have a greater risk for substance use,” the paper reads. “Adolescents aged 12–17 who report having experienced a major depressive episode in the past year are more than twice as likely to drink alcohol, vape nicotine and use illicit substances compared to their peers who did not experience a major depressive episode.”
There are many outside factors that can influence student drug use, like poverty, family issues, neighborhood conditions and Houston’s role as a drug trafficking hub, according to the paper.
“While these outside factors are beyond the school district’s control, schools are often the most stable part of a young person’s life,” Harris said. “That’s why it’s so important for the district to partner with the community to support students’ mental health and address substance use.”
The authors argue that HISD can leverage existing community resources to meet the substance use and mental health needs of students. Communities in Schools has worked with HISD and school districts in the greater Houston area to provide evidence-based mental health support and offers schools on-campus licensed mental health professionals. Harris County’s Community Resource Coordination Group (CRCG), which is run by Harris County Resources for Children and Adults (HCRCA). The CRCG brings providers together to serve families and children that need services in multiple areas, including intellectual development and disabilities, mental health, behavioral health, substance use, and legal representation.
Investing in licensed mental health and social work staff on-campus can increase a school’s ability to respond to student needs effectively, said Christopher Kulesza, scholar in child health policy.
“These staff can also help build trust between students and the outside providers to whom students are referred, which is critical to engaging young people in treatment services, particularly those who have had mostly negative experiences with adults in positions of authority,” he continued.