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Decline in drug use proves impact of SVC Prevention Projects

Decline in drug use proves impact of SVC Prevention Projects

by Public Relations | November 11, 2024

LATROBE, PA – For nearly 50 years, Saint Vincent College Prevention Projects (SVCPP) has taught students in Westmoreland County how to set goals and make positive life decisions. Recent survey results indicate the message is getting through and making a difference.

According to the Pennsylvania Youth Survey (PAYS), Westmoreland County is doing better than the state average on multiple measures of drug and alcohol use.

PAYS is a statewide survey conducted every two years by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency. Sixth-, eighth-, 10th- and 12th-grade students are surveyed about their behavior, attitudes and knowledge concerning alcohol, tobacco, drugs and violence.

In Westmoreland County, reported use of alcohol, marijuana and inhalants declined across all grade levels over the past four years. In 2019, more than 40% of all students in the survey said they had consumed alcohol in their lifetimes. Two years later, the rate of usage has dropped to about 23%, nearly seven points lower than the state average.

In 2019, slightly more than 20% of all surveyed students said they were willing to use alcohol before age 21. In the latest report, the rate dropped to 10%. For marijuana use, the willing-to-use rate dropped from about 15% to about 5%.

“When I look at these latest stats, I can say, ‘Yes, we really are making a difference,’” said Donna Kean, executive director of SVCPP. “We saw [a good trend] a couple of years ago, too, but it’s even more solid in the 2023 report.”

Prevention Projects has been a part of Saint Vincent since 1978 and is the largest prevention program in Pennsylvania. It builds on research that shows education promotes and reinforces positive behavior and offers several developmental, comprehensive and motivational programs.

“What sets us apart is the consistency of our programs,” Kean said. “It’s like teaching math or English—you don’t teach it in the third grade and then not again until the eighth grade. You teach it every year, emphasizing different concepts.”

With a 25-person staff, SVCPP annually educates more than 25,000 students from preschool to college throughout Westmoreland County. According to Kean, a typical student will have 82 SVCPP classes from preschool through the senior year of high school. “All of the lessons we teach deal with decision making, goal setting, social skills development and making good choices,” Kean said.

SVCPP also runs programs for students at Saint Vincent College, Westmoreland County Community College, Seton Hill University and Penn State University’s New Kensington branch campus.

SVCPP is funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs through the Westmoreland Drug and Alcohol Commission Inc. and service agreements with school districts and local organizations and businesses.

Kean credited the Westmoreland Drug and Alcohol Commission for its strong financial backing at a time when contributions from private foundations are decreasing and federal grant money has dried up. “They offer more support than what we see in a lot of other counties [in Pennsylvania],” she said.

 

2023 chart of Pennsylvania Youth Survey data on lifetime use of alcohol and marijuana by students in Westmoreland County

Chart of 2023 Pennsylvania Youth Survey data on lifetime use of alcohol and marijuana by students in Westmoreland County

 

 

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