Substance usage trending downward for Somerset teens

SOMERSET COUNTY, Pa. (WTAJ) — The Somerset County “Drug Free Communities” have a mission to promote healthy choices across the county.

UPMC Western Behavioral Health at Twin Peaks spoke to the committee Thursday to reveal results about teen substance usage through the Pennsylvania Youth Survey, or PAYS for short.

PAYS is a statewide survey for students in middle school and high school that asks them about how they use drugs and alcohol. Over the years, the questions have adapted to the evolving market of drugs and alcohol, giving the pollers trends to look at.

“We also look at things like mental health and willingness to uses,” Becca Mull, program supervisor of prevention education services at UPMC Western Behavioral Health at Twin Peaks, said. “

At their monthly meeting, data showed decreases in substance usage among Somerset teens since 2019. However, marijuana has fluctuated with a rise in 2019 for usage.

“We love to see those decreases,” Gerald Walker, Community Relations Specialist at DreamLife Recovery said. “But, as you saw today, the increase in marijuana. I don’t know if it’s even so much the increase in the use, but it’s the perception of the risks related to marijuana use that I think is a disturbing trend.”

The trends are going into the right direction for the organization. However, there are threats that linger in the market, trying to entice teenagers.

For example, one company has a vaping device for sale that has a built-in gaming system and four times the hit capacity as previous vapes. The device comes in a multitude of different flavors to hide the nicotine and prevent throat irritation.

Another threat is the variety of marijuana accessible to the public. On the meeting agenda, the group listed various strands of THC, such as Delta-8 and Delta-9 .

“We’re continuing to decrease these numbers because it looks at risk factors and protective factors,” Mull said. “So, ‘What’s putting youth at risk of using? What’s protecting them from not using?’.”

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The main point of the study was to inform those who attended the meeting about the trends in the county and how they can help their advocates. This includes lawmakers to examine the ways to curb the harmful behavior happening in their communities.

“That is the type of individuals that need to not only be aware of the surveys but take a closer look at the trends in these surveys,” Walker said. “The legislator can help us with many of the issues and how they can better utilize the dollars for mental health and substance use disorder in the Commonwealth.”

The organization plans to meet again on Sept. 19.

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