Youth Substance Use Prevention: What Wayne County YASUS Data Tells Us

Article Highlights

While parents often feel their influence fades as kids enter high school, the latest 2025-2026 Youth Asset and Substance Use Survey (YASUS) results suggest otherwise. In this conversation, Dr. Michael Vimont highlights why Wayne County teens are choosing abstinence at higher rates than the national average. By focusing on three key pillars – family communication, peer mentorship, and the role of “everyday” adult role models – we can continue to drive these numbers in the right direction.

The Myth of the “Checked Out” Teen

When you’re the parent of a teenager, it’s easy to feel like your voice is being drowned out by social media and peer pressure. There is a common cultural narrative that once a child hits high school, parents no longer have a say in their choices regarding drinking or vaping.

But according to Dr. Michael Vimont, a retired social work professor and longtime researcher for OneEighty, that narrative is simply a myth. “The biggest misconception is that the youth are out there using substances right and left at such a high degree,” Dr. Vimont says. “They aren’t. Not to the level people fear. Sometimes our fear reaction is just thinking the worst… I don’t think the worst is what we’re actually seeing.”

A Pleasant Surprise: Wayne County vs. The Nation

The latest Wayne County YASUS Data reveals a significant message for the surrounding community. Not only are local use rates lower than many expect, but students are actually outperforming national averages for abstinence. To understand why these numbers are so hopeful, we first have to understand the tool used to find them.

What is the YASUS?

The Youth Asset and Substance Use Survey (YASUS) is a repeated cross-sectional study that OneEighty has conducted in Wayne County since 2008. While most school surveys only ask if students have used drugs, the YASUS is more complex. It looks at the relationship between a child’s environment and their choices.

OneEighty shares YASUS results with participating schools and uses the data to guide prevention planning, including identifying future programming and funding needs. The information helps ensure prevention efforts reflect what students actually experience.

In schools, the results inform prevention strategies and support services. OneEighty works closely with districts to keep the survey process safe, respectful, and private. The findings help shape classroom conversations and youth mentoring efforts. When data shows students underestimating risks (such as vaping) education is strengthened. When students report feeling disconnected, it reinforces the importance of trusted relationships built through mentoring.

In the broader community, YASUS data supports prevention through local coalitions that educate parents, law enforcement, and community members about prevention strategies and available resources. Together, the data provides a big‑picture view that complements one‑on‑one support and helps prevention efforts respond in meaningful, targeted ways.

“It’s a developmental process,” Dr. Vimont explains. “It helps transition youth from their experimental stage into being healthy adults who can maintain positive relationships and be engaged in their community.”

What are Assets?

In the YASUS, Assets are the internal strengths and external supports that help a child thrive. Dr. Vimont describes them as the building blocks of a healthy life. They include:

• Internal Assets: Things like a child’s self-esteem and their sense of purpose.
• External Assets: Relationships with parents, boundaries set by teachers, and support from neighbors.

Think of these assets as protective shields. The data consistently shows that the more assets a child has, the less likely they are to engage in risky behavior.

Why is This Data Considered Reliable?

A common worry for parents is that kids might lie on these surveys to look cool or avoid trouble. Dr. Vimont notes that the YASUS is uniquely reliable for two reasons:

1. Strict Anonymity: “No one is going to know how they responded,” says Dr. Vimont. When kids feel safe and anonymous, they are statistically much more likely to be honest.
2. Demonstrated Validity: The YASUS was originally developed by the University of Oklahoma. When Dr. Vimont tested it in Wayne County across 2,000 responses, the local data showed higher reliability and validity than the original national study.

Substance Use Metric	Wayne County (2025-26)	National Average
12th Grade Abstinence	81.3%	66.2%
10th Grade Abstinence	82.2% (Up from 76.1% in 2021)	Lower
6th & 8th Grade (30-day abstinence)	97%+	Lower

Beyond just the numbers, Dr. Vimont found a pleasant surprise in the way older students are growing. “In past surveys, and actually this was stated nationwide, one of the concerns is that as youth become older, they tend to literally lose assets. My suggestion was: let’s help them at least maintain them where they were in sixth grade. If they’re not losing assets, that’s a gain. And that’s exactly what we saw with this one. We did not see the older youth between the 10th and 12th grade losing assets… they weren’t losing them as they did even four or six years ago.”

The Secret Sauce: Understanding Youth Assets

Why are Wayne County kids staying on track? Youth Assets can play a pivotal role. Dr. Vimont explains that these are the building blocks kids need to transition from the experimental stage of youth into healthy, effective adults.

Through the YASUS data, OneEighty has identified three specific assets that are the strongest predictors of youth substance use prevention:

1. Family Communication: High levels of perceived parental support and open dialogue.
2. Positive Peer Role Models: Being matched with or seeking out friends who make healthy choices.
3. Non-Parental Adult Role Models: Connections with coaches, teachers, or neighbors.

Dr. Vimont emphasizes that this isn’t just a job for professionals. “We rely on the professional too much,” he notes. “The professional is there to help navigate the problems when they are festering. But if you want to prevent illness from occurring in the first place, to rely on the professional as the sole source is really negating your own capacity as a citizen. As a universal community, we all are responsible and have a role to play in positive youth development.”

Parental Influence Still Matters: The Importance of Delay

While the 2025-26 data is encouraging, the risks are still real. Alcohol remains the most used substance (11% past year use), and many parents still believe the misconception that introducing alcohol at an earlier age helps reduce alcohol use as youth grow older.

The research suggests the opposite: the longer a parent can help a child delay their first use, the risk of future addiction drops. Success isn’t about being a perfect parent; it’s about parental monitoring and being an active participant in a child’s social world.

Dr. Vimont elaborates, “It’s important to know who your kids’ friends are. And as parents, you still matter. You have the capacity to be an effective person in that youth’s life. It doesn’t have to be the professional.”

Success is a Conversation

Every parent or adult reading this should walk away from this data with a sense of hope. It means taking the data seriously and realizing that your influence doesn’t stop when your child turns sixteen. By keeping the lines of communication open and helping your teen maintain their assets, you’re doing the most important prevention work there is.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What does “abstinence” mean in this survey? In the YASUS context, abstinence refers to youth who have not used alcohol, nicotine (including vaping), or marijuana within the past year.

Is vaping more common than cigarettes? Yes. The data shows that 30-day use of vapor products (2.6%) is significantly higher than traditional cigarettes (0.5%), though both are trending downward.

Why does the survey focus on “assets”? Because preventing substance use isn’t just about saying no to drugs; it’s about saying yes to positive influences. Assets like parental monitoring and school engagement create a safety net for kids.

Are the numbers for 6th graders concerning? While 97% are abstinent, the small percentage who do use tend to start with inhalants. This is why parents need to begin prevention conversations in elementary and middle school.

How does parental influence on teen drinking change as kids get older? While teens seek more independence, the YASUS data shows that parental monitoring and family communication remain some of the strongest predictors for preventing at-risk behavior through 12th grade. Youth will rely on their peers for short term decision making but still rely on their parents for long term guidance.

Why is Wayne County’s abstinence rate higher than the national average? A combination of community-based prevention programs, strong youth assets, and active parental involvement helps local students stay ahead of national substance use trends.

About Dr. Michael Vimont

Dr. Michael Vimont has worked in Wayne County since 2005, serving as a consultant for OneEighty and the Wayne County Family and Children’s First Council. A retired Professor of Social Work from Ashland University, his career has focused on using data-driven research to help rural communities protect their youth and build lasting “developmental assets.”