The project, funded by the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, is examining the rates of drug abuse and drug dependence among high school students. Originally the project planned to randomly select twenty-eight school districts from the state, and to draw a sample of 6th, 8th, 10th, and 12th grade students from within each of the selected districts. Given the success of the first year of the survey effort, in the second year additional funds were identified to make it possible for all school districts in the state to have the opportunity to participate. A Comparison of Drug Use Rates With the important exception of methamphetamine, the rates of drug use by teenagers in Wyoming are similar to those found throughout the United States.
Alcohol is the most frequently used substance, and marijuana is the most frequently used other drug.
However, the survey identified a serious epidemic of methamphetamine use by youth in Wyoming. This high rate of use by youth is not unique to Wyoming. Drug Dependence Based on DSM-IV criteria, a diagnosis as substance dependent means the student is currently using alcohol or other drugs repeatedly despite suffering from substance use related problems. Tolerance and withdrawal are not, however, necessary for a diagnosis of substance dependence. It takes at least three different signs of dependence for a student to be classified as drug dependent.