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Local survey shows mixed youth substance‑use trends; late‑night screen time linked to vaping and anxiety
Summary
Wilder Research presented 2025 Minnesota Student Survey results to the county board: statewide declines in alcohol and vaping contrast with local plateaus or increases in some measures; Melissa said late‑night screen time correlates with higher vaping and anxiety among Crow Wing students.
Kerri Terry of Crow Wing County Community Services introduced Melissa from Wilder Research, who presented analysis of 2025 student survey responses and related local polling used by the Brainerd Lakes Area Drug Education Coalition (BLADE).
Melissa said the county sample included 52 eighth‑graders, 45 ninth‑graders and 247 eleventh‑graders from Crow Wing in 2025 and that many state‑level trend comparisons were apples‑to‑apples for eleventh graders. Statewide, reported past‑30‑day alcohol use among eleventh graders fell from 23% in 2019 to about 10% in 2025, she said; Crow Wing saw declines from 2019 to 2022 and then a plateau into 2025. She noted local past‑30‑day marijuana use among eleventh graders increased from 9% in 2022 to 12% in 2025.
On nicotine vaping, Melissa said friends were the most common source; almost 10% of past‑month vapers reported buying from a tobacco or vape shop or online, which the presenter described as an actionable enforcement point. When asked how teenagers might access dispensaries, Melissa said the survey does not distinguish whether purchases occurred in Minnesota or by travel to other states.
Melissa highlighted mental‑health indicators: rates of reported depression and anxiety rose between 2019 and 2022 and fell somewhat in 2025, though not back to pre‑pandemic levels. She said students who reported more late‑night screen time (midnight–5 a.m. on school nights) had higher rates of vaping and anxiety; among eighth graders she said about four in 10 reported screen use three to five school nights per week.
Melissa emphasized protective factors: students engaged in learning, with trusted adults and roles that foster empowerment (including programs like 4‑H) were substantially less likely to report vaping or cannabis use. She also summarized community poll results and a Brainerd High School event ("Dying to Make a Difference") which showed increases in students' willingness to seek help after programming.
Commissioners questioned sampling coverage and participation rates; Melissa noted not all districts or students participate, and state teams are considering weighting to improve representativeness. One commissioner also raised concerns about substances like kratom that the survey does not capture.
