THY Bluffton High Educates 7th graders on Prevention Plus Wellness

Teens for Healthy Youth at Bluffton High School educated 7th graders at McCracken Middle School in the SPORTS Prevention Plus Wellness Program (PPW). PPW incorporates substance use prevention with total health and wellness. Confidential online posttests surveys evaluating the SPORT PPW program administered immediately after the program was presented to youth found that 67% planned to set goals to improve their health or fitness. In addition, youth that completed Prevention Plus Wellness and were surveyed had the following results: 83% reported they would not drink alcohol with the next year, 95% said they would not smoke, 94% would not use marijuana, 93% will not use E-cigarettes, & 82% will not use opioids. The most recent Monitoring the Future Survey of 8th graders reported that 27% think drinking 1-2 drinks is harmful, 40% think smoking 1-5 cigarettes a day is harmful, 52% think marijuana use is harmful, and 22% think e-cigarettes is harmful suggesting PPW does increase youth perception of harm for all substances. Teens for Healthy Youth will teach 6th graders PPW next month. In addition, they plan to educate their peers at their own school during National Drug and Alcohol Facts week in March.