Responding to Behavior Changes
Every other year since 1989, Pennsylvania students in 6th, 8th, 10th, and 12th grades voluntarily take the Pennsylvania Youth Survey (PAYS). The results provide benchmarks and comparative data on the use of alcohol, tobacco, and drugs, as well as on anti-social and delinquent behaviors.
State and local groups use this rich repository of statistics to inform decision-making, match their pro-grams against the research, and direct scarce prevention resources to areas of greatest impact. PCCD, in cooperation with Pennsylvania’s Department of Education and Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs, makes the reports available to schools at no cost.
Some valuable information derived from PAYS includes:
- Nearly one of 10 Pennsylvania students (8%) reported “attacking someone with intent to harm.”
- One out of 20 students (4.6%) report “selling drugs” in the past year.
- Of the 12th graders who drive, about 18%reported they drove under the influence of marijuana,
and 16% reported they drove under the influence of alcohol.