Overall, 50.5% of students say they have not talked with at least one of their parents about the dangers of tobacco ,alcohol, or drug use in the last 12 months.
Cumberland Prevention Coalition is combating by educating parents through (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) SAHMSA’s program Talk. They Hear You. The program teaches parents how to talk to their children about substance use.
In Cumberland County, the age of initiation to alcohol is 13.
- When asked on how many of the last 30 days they had one or more drinks of alcoholic beverage, 13.4% of 12th graders said all 30 days
- 1% of all 8th, 10th, and 12th graders said it was fairly easy for them to access alcohol
- Students said that their main source for getting alcohol was their parents, with permission
CPC is educating the parents and students alike on the dangers of alcohol use.Retailers in the community are also being educated on their responsibility to check ids
When asked, 24.9% of students said it was very easy to get tobacco products.
CPC provides positive recognition to all local tobacco shops that pass compliance checks conducted by the Tennessee Department of Agriculture.
When asked, 47.5% of students said that they think that people put themselves at great risk physically and in other ways if they use a vaping device with nicotine.
CPC conducts a free smoking/vaping cessation readiness program provided by the American Lung Association.
When students were asked if they had ever used prescription medication not prescribed to them just to get high, 10.1% of 8th graders said they had, compared to 9.6% of 12th graders.
CPC encourages parents to safely store unused medications in lock boxes to reduce their access to children. CPC provides free drug lock boxes to parents on request.
When asked on how many days they used marijuana in the last 30 days, 7.1% of 12th graders reported using it all 30 days.
CPC is working to provide education and informational presentations about the increased risks of regular marijuana use.