Substance Use
Step Up Naugy started as a prevention coalition focused on substance use. Educating youth on the dangers of substance use on their brains and encouraging delays of use until adulthood started as the primary drivers for change.
Building the 40 Developmental Assets became a push for protecting young people and promoting positive behaviors.
Since the 2016 start of the Drug-Free Communities funding, Step Up Naugy has been able to diversify the types of prevention and align specific strategies with specific substances.
Proudly, SUN has contributed to reducing youth substance use rates since the beginning of their data collection in 2014.
Past 30 Day Use of Substances by Naugatuck Students grades 7-12 (Search Institute Attitudes & Behaviors Survey, Step Up Naugy, 2014-2022)
2014 | 2022 | |
Prescription Drugs | 5% | 2% |
Cigarettes | 10% | 1% |
Marijuana | 18% | 9% |
Alcohol | 28% | 13% |