Expanded Marijuana Use Prevention Campaign Targets Youths 12 to 20, State Officials Say

PORTLAND, OR — 'Stay True to You' and don't use marijuana: That's the message the Oregon Health Authority hopes to send to young Oregonians in its newly expanded youth marijuana use prevention campaign, officials announced Wednesday.

Targeting youths 12 to 20 years old, the Stay True to You campaign was created simply to prevent or delay marijuana use, according to Oregon Health Authority (OHA) spokesman Jonathan Modie; and it's apparently working.

"Research shows that our audience was receptive to the Stay True to You campaign," Kati Moseley, policy specialist at OHA's Public Health Division, said in a statement. "With this expansion, youth and young adults statewide will hear the message that marijuana use should be delayed until adulthood or avoided entirely." (Sign up for free daily newsletters and Breaking News Alerts from Portland Patch.)

After getting the green light from state lawmakers to begin a yearlong evaluation of the Stay True to You campaign's effectiveness, OHA officials began test runs in the Portland metro area, and Jackson and Josephine counties from June 2016 to June 2017.

The study was conducted by RMC Research, an independent evaluation firm specializing in health and education, which determined that only 1 in 5 Oregon teens use marijuana, Modie said.

OHA's Stay True to You website provides a quick breakdown of the study's findings (and includes its sources as backup):

• More than 80 percent of 11th-graders said they don’t use pot. OHA Marijuana Report - Pg. 12, Fig. 3
• More than half of 11th-graders — 60 percent — said they had never even tried it. Oregon Student Wellness Survey - Section 6.1
• Among 8th-graders, more than 90 percent said they don’t use pot. OHA Marijuana Report - Pg. 12, Fig. 3
• And 85 percent of 8th-graders had never even tried it. Oregon Student Wellness Survey - Section 6.1

The study itself was developed through audience research and 28 focus group tests conducted in Portland, Bend, Medford, and Pendleton, Modie said. The focus groups featured 260 individuals between 14 and 20 years old, he said, noting the whole group was multi-ethnic.

The focus group tests were conducted between October 2015 and March 2016, Modie said.

"Our focus group research showed youth and young adults are eager for more information on the effects of marijuana use," Moseley said. "Though research into marijuana use isn't as extensive as that on alcohol or tobacco, there is sufficient evidence that using marijuana can have a significant effect on developing brains."

Modie said OHA will publish the study's final results later this summer.

Until then, keep an eye out for #StayTrueOregon, and visit StayTrueToYou.org for more information.

Image: Jantaaa via Pixabay.com