Greenwich Together offers community teen survey results

Teens feel safe and valued, but need substance use boundaries

Founded in 2017, Greenwich Together mobilizes youth, parents and community partners to prevent substance misuse, promote behavioral and mental health and strengthen healthy choices. Recently, Greenwich Together provided the community its results from its biannual youth survey.

(Ad) Founded in 2017, Greenwich Together mobilizes youth, parents and community partners to prevent substance misuse, promote behavioral and mental health and strengthen healthy choices. It is in its sixth year of grant funding focused on substance use reduction and mental health promotion.  Kids in Crisis serves as the fiduciary for Greenwich Together.

Recently, Greenwich Together provided the community its results from its biannual youth survey. This survey, administered to Greenwich students, is also administered in neighboring towns and allows the community to compare its statistics to neighbors, as well as state and national statistics.

Survey info

The survey was administered to 3,000 students in grades 7 through 12 to both public and private school students in Greenwich, anonymously, with parents able to opt out. The survey is broken into categories:

• Individual protective factors

• Community protective factors

• Risk factors, such as irregular eating, gambling, substance use, mental health concerns, technology and bullying

• Social media, gaming and cell phone use

Support

Greenwich teens feel supported on the individual and community level as per the results. Nearly 90% of Greenwich teens report they have a trusted adult, are developing a sense of purpose and feel in control of their life. Nearly 70% are engaged in productive activities. Nearly all teens report they receive a high level of love and support from their parents, feel safe at school and in the community, and feel valued and respected by those around them.

Substance use

Over the last seven years, data has shown that substance use rates are decreasing among Greenwich teens, including alcohol, marijuana and the largest drop in nicotine use. Alcohol is still the most popular substance used by teens, not only in Greenwich but in Connecticut and throughout the country. Though there is a decrease across grades, there is an increase from 2023 in Greenwich students in eighth, tenth, eleventh and twelfth grade.

According to the survey, teens are nine times more likely to drink on weekends if they think their parents don’t disapprove. Parents are encouraged to provide a consistent and clear message to teens that they disapprove of substance use

Mental health 

While depression and anxiety have lowered in the last two years, 21% of survey takers reported anxiety (with girls reporting twice as much as boys within that figure), and 17% reported depression.

Smartphone use

Added as a new category this year, the divide between respondents on cell phone use was nearly in half, with one side feeling their use is acceptable, and the other saying it was two much. About a third felt phone use interfered with schoolwork and sleep, and three out of four teens are trying to reduce use.

Celebrating safely

With these statistics in mind, Greenwich Together wants to remind teens and parents about the social host laws during prom and graduation season.

In Connecticut, allowing anyone under the age of 21 to possess alcohol in any dwelling unit or on private property is a criminal offense punishable by up to one year in jail for the person who owns or controls the property, regardless of whether they are there, or even know there is alcohol present.

Make those milestones memorable in the best way possible! For more information visit greenwichtogether.org.  

The previous content is a paid advertisement for Greenwich Together/Kids in Crisis.