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2026 youth survey shows declines in marijuana use; town awarded nicotine prevention grant
Summary
Leah Foster presented the Guilford 2026 Search Institute youth survey showing a drop in youth marijuana use and increases in perceived risk; presenters announced a one‑year underage nicotine prevention grant to expand education and cessation services.
Leah Foster, prevention coordinator for the Guilford Day Coalition and Houston Family Services, told the Guilford Board of Education on July 13 that the district’s 2026 Search Institute attitude and behavior survey shows encouraging shifts in student substance‑use indicators and attitudes.
Foster said 30‑day use rates changed since 2023: alcohol down about 3 percent, cigarette use up about 1 percent, marijuana down about 5 percent (from 12% to 7%), and prescription‑drug use unchanged. “The marijuana use decreased almost by half if you can see 12 to 7% which is really great,” Foster said.
The presentation emphasized four core measures tracked biennially: 30‑day use rates, perception of risk, perception of parental disapproval and perception of peer disapproval. Foster said perceptions of risk for alcohol and marijuana rose, and parental and peer disapproval scores remain “very high,” often in the 90s. She highlighted a 17 percent increase in peer disapproval for marijuana and said the district’s partnerships and student groups likely contributed to that shift.
Foster also announced an underage nicotine prevention program grant, which began July 1 and will run one year. She said the grant, administered through Connecticut Mental Health and Addiction Services and the regional Alliance of Prevention and Wellness, will support education on nicotine harms and expand youth cessation access.
Board members asked about sample size and comparators. Foster and district staff said the survey is administered in schools with a passive parental‑notice process (parents are informed and can opt a student out), which yields near‑100% participation. They cautioned that the instrument is self‑reported and intended to measure attitudes and behaviors over time rather than absolute behavior counts; one board member suggested comparing results to national studies (such as Monitoring the Future) to contextualize trends.
The presentation concluded with staff noting follow‑up work: further attention to nicotine and tobacco (given the small cigarette increase), additional education for prescription drugs where perception of risk declined, and continued partnership with community groups and school clubs.
The board did not take a formal vote on the presentation; members thanked Foster and partners for the work and the data.
