What Do Youth Tell Us?
Insights on Youth Marijuana Use in Arizona
Prepared by:
Shana Malone
Arizona Criminal Justice Commission
Statistical Analysis Center
November 18, 2014
CONSUMPTION
Identifying the severity of the
problem and who is most affected
6.6
2.0
1.4
1.2
1.0
0.8
0.6
0.3
0.3
Hallucinogens
Ecstasy
Cocaine
Synthetics
Steroids
Heroin
Meth
0
3.4
Inhalants
6.3
OTC
Prescription Drugs
9.4
Chewing Tobacco
10
Cigarettes
20
Marijuana
30
Alcohol
Percent (%) Reporting Use
Percentage of Arizona Youth Reporting Past 30 Day Substance Use (2014)
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
24.1
13.6
Percentage of Arizona Youth Reporting Past 30 Day Use of the Most
Common Substance Types
40
35
Percent (%) Reporting Use
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
2006
2008
Alcohol
Note: scale reduced for visibility; accurate depiction is out of 100%
2010
Marijuana
2012
Cigarettes
2014
Rx Drugs
Cumulative Percent Change in Arizona Youth Substance Use Rates
(2006-2014)
10
5
3.82
0
Alcohol
Marijuana
Cigarettes
*Rx Drugs
-5
Percent (%) Change
-10
-15
-33.61
-20
-38.56
-41.12
-25
-30
-35
-40
*Rx Drug Cumulative Change is from 2008-2012
-45
Percentage of Arizona Youth Reporting Past 30 Day Marijuana Use (2014)
100
90
80
Percent (%) Reporting Use
70
60
50
40
30
20
State Average = 13.6%
10
19.3
18.3
16.7
16.6
15.5
15.3
15.3
14.4
13.3
12.9
12.7
11.2
9.4
8.6
5.2
0
Gila
Pima
Greenlee Yavapai Coconino La Paz
Pinal
Apache Maricopa Navajo Mohave Cochise Graham
Yuma
Santa
Cruz
Percentage of Arizona Youth Reporting Past 30 Day Marijuana Use (2014)
100
90
80
Percent (%) Reporting Use
70
60
50
40
30
21.3
20
22.9
22.5
26.5% Increase
18.7
18.1
7.0% Increase
17.4
15.7
15.1
8.5
7.6
2006
2008
10
8.9
17.7
16.8
22.4% Decrease
7.7
6.6
0
8th Grade
2010
10th Grade
2012
2014
12th Grade
Percentage of Arizona Youth Reporting Past 30 Day Marijuana Use (2014)
Race
100
Ethnicity
Gender
90
80
Percent (%) Reporting Use
70
60
50
40
30
20
State Average = 13.6%
10
17.9
16.4
15.5
13.6
14.3
13.2
14.7
12.6
Hispanic/
Latino
NonHispanic/
Latino
Males
Females
9.3
0
American
Indian
African
American
Hawaiian/
Pacific
Islander
White
Asian
Frequency of Past 30 Day Marijuana Use Among Arizona Youth
6
5.5
5.3
Percent (%) of Total Youth in Each Frequency Category
5.1
5
5.1
4.7
4.7
4.5
4.5
4
7.8% Decrease
4.2
4.1
7.9% Increase
3.8
3.5
3.5
3.4
3.4
3.2
14.3% Increase
3
2.8
2.7
2.5
2
1.7
1.5
1.5
2006
2008
1.6
1.6
6.7% Increase
1.5
1
Experimental Use
(1-2x past 30 days)
Weekend Use
(3-9x past 30 days)
Note: scale reduced for visibility; accurate depiction is out of 100%
2010
2012
Weekend+Some Weekday Use
(10-19x past 30 days)
2014
Habitual Use
(20+ x past 30 days)
CONSEQUENCES
Identifying the Costs of Substance
Use and Markers of Return on
Investment for Prevention
Percentage of Arizona Youth Reporting Delinquent Behavior
20
18
Percent (%) Reporting Use
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
2006
Assault
2008
Drunk or High at School
Note: scale reduced for visibility; accurate depiction is out of 100%
2010
Suspended from School
2012
Sold Illegal Drugs
2014
Been Arrested
Percentage of Arizona Youth Reporting Delinquent Behavior
100
90
Percent (%) Reporting Use
80
70
10.7x Higher Rate
60
50
40
30
60.0
2.7x Higher Rate
2.8x Higher Rate
20
8.8
0
Suspended from School
5.7x Higher Rate
29.5
23.9
10
14.8x Higher Rate
18.8
6.8
Assault
No Past 30 Day Marijuana Use
18.1
3.2
Been Arrested
5.6
Drunk or High at School
Past 30 Day Marijuana Use
2.0
Sold Drugs
Percentage of Arizona Youth Reporting Delinquent Behavior
100
90
Percent (%) Reporting Use
80
70
60
50
40
30
60.0
50.7
20
10
39.0
23.9 22.2
18.5
18.8
29.5 27.2
23.9
16.4
18.1 18.0
18.4
13.2
0
Suspended from School
Assault
Past 30 Day Marijuana Users
Been Arrested
Past 30 Day Rx Drug Users
Drunk or High at School
Sold Drugs
Past 30 Day Alcohol Users
CONTEXTUAL FACTORS
Identifying What Can Be Changed
Where Arizona Youth Obtained Marijuana*
100
90
Percent (%) Youth Reporting Each Source
80
70
60
50
40
78.6 75.7
30
20
28.6 27.1
10
14.8 14.3
11.6 14.3
13.4 11.3
Someone with a
medical mj card
School
6.1
5.7
0
Friends
Parties
Family/Relative
2012
*Students could pick more than one source; will not sum to 100%
2014
Home
100
Risk Factors of Note in Arizona Past 30 Day Youth Marijuana Users (2014)
Users had 1.5-4.7x the rate of risk as non-users
90
80
Percent (%) Youth at Risk
70
60
50
91.8
40
78.1
69.0
65.1
30
65.1
56.1
20
10
14.0
18.5
24.0
23.0
60.7
54.7
29.0
54.1
35.0
28.3
0
Early Initiation
of
Drug Use
Attitudes
Favorable
to Drug Use
Friend's Use of
Drugs
Non Users
Parent
Attitudes
Favor Drug Use
Perceived
Availability
of Drugs
Laws & Norms
Favor Drug Use
Users
Poor Family
No/Slight
Management Perceived Risk of
Drug Use
Age of 1st Use by Substance Type in Arizona
14.00
13.6
13.6
13.7
13.5
13.50
13.5
Average Age in Years
13.2
13.4
13.1
13.00
12.9
12.9
12.8
12.8
12.9
12.9
12.7
12.7
12.50
12.5
12.00
2006
2008
Alcohol
Note: scale reduced for visibility; accurate depiction is out of 100%
2010
Cigarettes
2012
Marijuana
2014
Rx Drugs
Percentage of Each Age of Marijuana Initiation for Arizona Youth (2014)
19 or Older, 0.3%
1 out of 8 Arizona youth who
used marijuana started
using in elementary school
12 years, 11.6%
15 years, 17.4%
13 years, 19.5%
14 years, 18.9%
80% of Arizona youth who
used marijuana started
using before they could
legally drive a car
Age of 1st Use for Arizona Youth Marijuana Users
14.5
14.08
13.99
14
13.96
13.81
13.64
13.61
Average Age in Years
13.53
13.5
13.31
13.31
12.97
12.97
13.31
13.27
13.05
13
12.83
12.5
12.57
12.57
2008
2010
12.78
12.78
2012
2014
12.28
12
2006
Experimental Use
(1-2x past 30 days)
Weekend Use
(3-9x past 30 days)
Weekend+Some Weekday Use
(10-19x past 30 days)
Habitual Use
(20+ x past 30 days)
Percentage of Arizona Youth Reporting No/Slight Risk of Marijuana Use
100
90
Percent (%) Reporting Use
80
70
25.8%% Increase
60
50
116.6% Increase
40
30
20
10
0
2006
2008
Try Marijuana
2010
2012
Regular use of marijuana
2014
Factors Contributing to Arizona Youth Attitudes About Marijuana (2014)
100
90
80
Percent (%) Youth at Risk
70
60
50
96.1
88.7
85.2
40
78.1
68.7
30
55.0
20
29.0
10
38.7
38.6
21.1
28.4
17.9
0
Cool to use
marijuana
Not wrong to use
marijuana
Peer approval of
marijuana use
No Past 30 Day Marijuana Use
Know adults who
use marijuana
Siblings use
marijuana
Past 30 Day Marijuana Use
Best friends use
marijuana
Over HALF of
Arizona youth have
never talked to their
parents about
alcohol or drugs!
Factors Contributing to the Lack of Parent-Child Conversations (2014)
100
90
80
Percent (%) Youth at Risk
70
60
50
40
30
20
54.9
53.2
46.8
34.6
40.0
34.5
38.6
29.9
22.4
10
14.3
0
Can't share
with parents
Can't go to
parents with problems
No Past 30 Day Marijuana Use
Honesty with
parents not important
Parents never/rarely
notice good job
Past 30 Day Marijuana Use
Parents never/rarely
say they are proud
*Students could pick more than one reason; will not sum to 100%
2.8
2.3
1.6
Be like a
famous person
5.0
Be more
grown up
0
Get back at
my parents
Lose weight
9.3
Fit in
11.1
Because I
needed it
Feel normal
20.5
Try something
new
22.9
To focus
10
Other
Stop boredom
Keep from
feeling sad
20
Deal with stress
55.8
Get high
Have fun
Percent (%) Youth Reporting Reasons
Reasons Past 30 Day Arizona Youth Marijuana Users Gave for Using
Substances (2014)
60
50
40
30
54.0
41.0
32.2
26.6
20.4
8.2
6.9
Couldn't find any
Don't like
10
Against beliefs
Friends disapprove
Get a bad
reputation
40.4
Might get expelled
40.5
Lose privelages
40.6
Morally wrong
44.7
Other adult
disapproval
20
Could be arrested
53.1
Parent disapproval
Can hurt me
40
Not interested
Percent (%) Youth Reporting Reasons
Reasons Non-Marijuana Users Gave for Not Using Substances (2014)
90
80
70
60
50
77.4
30
52.5
39.6
33.4
25.8
19.9
0
5.9
For More Information
Shana Malone
602-364-1158
smalone@azcjc.gov
• SAC website:
http://www.azcjc.gov/ACJC.Web/sac/Default.aspx
• Community Data Project website: http://www.bachharrison.com/arizonadataproject/