During the June 12 Catasauqua Communities That Care meeting, the coalition members started looking at and analyzing the Pennsylvania Youth Survey data.

The PAYS is administered every two years to students in grades 6, 8, 10 and 12. Students anonymously answer questions about their behavior, attitudes and knowledge regarding alcohol, drugs, anti-social behaviors, mental health, attitude toward school and the community and more. The PAYS data is used to inform programming and other decisions in the district.

The 2023 PAYS report is 118 pages and broken down into several sections. The CTC coalition will take time during the summer months to go through chapter by chapter and take note of different trends and information, as reported by the students.

The first section the CTC looked at was regarding substance abuse. It was noted many of the reports of lifetime drug usage has been trending down for years.

“What we are doing is working,” Donna Tercha, district nurse, reported.

One of the biggest concerns for coalition members was the vaping numbers continue to rise. It was noted they will continue to focus on this problem in the future.

The district has already been working to combat the vaping trend by installing vape detectors at Catasauqua High School. It was mentioned they are considering adding them as a deterrent at Catasauqua Middle School as well. Additionally, they will look into adding programming across all grade levels to really try and educate students. Efforts also need to be increased to address parental awareness about the dangers, it was reported.

There was also conversation about the marijuana usage being reported in some grades. Some possible reasons for increases included its legalization and medical usage. It was noted increased education, particularly about the different aspects such as THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (cannabidiol) as well as the differences in various strains, is needed.

Regarding mental health, it was noted a majority of students reported their overall mental health is good most days. Additionally, the number of students reporting planning or attempting suicide dropped. There were still a good amount of students reporting self-esteem issues or having feelings of depression. It was noted this could be due to the fight against the mental health stigma, so students are feeling more comfortable acknowledging and voicing these feelings. Since the suicide numbers dropped, it was noted the students are learning and using more coping skills to either work through it or seek additional help.

The PAYS showed students reported talking more to their friends about these concerns, rather than to a parent, teacher, religious figure or other adult. This led the coalition members to want more outreach to students about recognizing concerning signs in their friends and how best to help.

There were concerns about some students turning to the internet for information. Amy Dymond-Jones, Catasauqua Middle School counselor and CTC coordinator, noted the internet can be a dangerous place and worried students were not finding the right support. It was said the school can offer students online resources to help guide them in the right direction.

It was also noted efforts will continue to combat bullying and cyberbullying in the district.

The next meeting will be held 7:30 a.m. July 10 in the district administration board room, 201 N. 14th St. The CTC members will continue looking through the PAYS report.