SAN DIEGO (CNS) — In a study released Thursday interviewing 56 juvenile arrestees, more than 90% reported they had vaped and 75% reported vaping at school.
The San Diego Association of Governments report, 2022 Juvenile Arrestee Drug Use in the San Diego Region, found that 82% of those interviewed had vaped flavored nicotine and 78% had vaped marijuana/THC.
When these juveniles were interviewed for the study -- 42 youths from East Mesa Juvenile Detention Facility and an additional 14 from the San Diego Achievement Centers were interviewed -- and were asked if they had participated in any types of risky behaviors related to substance use in the past year, 52% reported riding in a car with a driver who had used alcohol/drugs and 52% reported they have gone to school intoxicated.
"The results in this report are concerning because we continue to see high levels of substance use among juvenile arrestees," said SANDAG Principal Criminal Justice Researcher Octavio Rodriguez. "While the efforts to help youth avoid entering the justice system are positive, we need to continue to address the underlying risk factors related to substance use among youth."
Nearly all of the juveniles interviewed -- 96% -- said they had ever tried at least one illicit substance and 59% tried all three "gateway drugs," marijuana, alcohol and tobacco, the report found.
Many of these young people reported started using marijuana and alcohol around the age of 12. When asked how they obtained the substances, most said someone 21 or older gave it to them or they stole it from a private residence.
In addition to using illicit drugs, just under half of juvenile arrestees reported ever abusing prescription or over-the-counter drugs, compared to 36% in 2021. Youth who abused prescription and over-the-counter drugs were significantly more likely to have tried other illicit drugs including LSD, hallucinogens, powder cocaine, meth and ecstasy, the study found.
Since 2000, SANDAG has conducted interviews in local detention facilities through its Substance Abuse Monitoring program. The program "helps identify drug use trends among adult and juvenile offender populations to help inform prevention strategies for the San Diego region," a statement from the agency reads.
