Students in the Trumansburg Central School District report higher rates of substance use than county and national averages, according to a survey by TST BOCES.
The survey revealed that, over a 30-day period, 16.7% of respondents consumed alcohol, 6.3% smoked cigarettes, 15% used marijuana, and 11.7% vaped nicotine—all above regional and national figures.
The findings link substance use primarily to mental health challenges, with many students citing anxiety, depression, or a need to cope as reasons for use.
In addition to substance use, the survey highlighted growing mental health struggles.
Prompts such as “Sometimes I think life is not worth it” saw increased agreement compared to a decade ago, with 30.5% of students expressing such thoughts in 2023.
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