The Mariposa County Board of Supervisors got some eye-opening information about drug use in Mariposa County on Tuesday. Newlycollected data indicates that marijuana is the most widely-used drug in Mariposa County. The report also addressed a possible solution in the form of a new prevention strategy: environmental prevention.

The information was presented by Susan Robinson, on behalf of Mariposa Safe Families. The report, “Marijuana, Methamphetamine and Presecription Drug Use” revealed some interesting facts about the way substances are used and abused on the local level.

Robinson prefaced her report with a warning. “It’s kind of a downer,” she said of the information. “But there are some interesting aspects.” Robinson’s report included very spe- cific information about drug use and abuse in Yosemite Valley, for example.

The report indicates that marijuana is easy to get, socially acceptable and many people feel the drug creates fewer problems than alcohol or cigarettes. It also shows that prescription and over the counter drug use appears to be on the rise, especially among teens.

Local schools are seeing a drastic increase in the number of drug and alcohol related incidents on campus. Robinson said the number of incidents of students under the influence at school had grown from 2007-08 to 2008-09. The figure is even more disturbing when it comes to marijuana use. The number of incidents doubled in one year. Alcohol-related incidents went from 10 to 18 in the same period.

Robinson said while the information may be shocking to parents and community members, kids are not surprised. She said those high school students surveyed told her “It happens everywhere, everyday.”

Parents said they wanted more informaiton to share with their children about drug use. Midle School students said marijuana, prescription and over the counter drugs are what they experiment with, although the cycle of experimentation starts with tobacco and alcohol use.

“It doesn’t matter what you say to us,” Robinson said the kids told her. “We’re still going to try it.”

Robinson took a specific look at drug use and abuse in Yosemite Valley because of its unique demographic and perceived high level of drug use. Somewhere between 2,500 and 5,000 people work in Yosemite. Robinson said her study indicated that 500 to 850 are “drug involved.”

The report states that a number of factors contribute to drug and alcohol use in the Park. Robinson said risk factors include the “welldefined social strata” in the valley, including a very large population of entry level seasonal wokers with limited opportunity for advancement. Another factor is isolation. Many people come to experience the beauty of Yosemite, but don’t realize how far from cities and their families they will be. Robinson called the employee housing “substandard” and said there is limited supervisor training about alcohol sales in the Park.

“There is a lot of stress from work,” the report continues. “Anxiety leads to the use of alcohol, drugs or the abuse of over the counter or prescription medications.”

Finally, Robinson said the problem of the cyclical work cycle has not changed in decades. “This is a hard place to work,” she told the board of Yosemite. “For at least the last 30 years there has been a stressful work cycle that has not changed.”

Robinson said the effects of a drug involved workforce can have a drastic effect on the Park and the visitor experience. “Guest service can be compromised,” she told the board. “There can be a negative perception of Yosemite by the public.”

Finally, Robinson listed strategies to deal with the issue. “There is a significant problem in the Valley, and they would like to see it addressed.”

Kathy Delaney, the retiring executive director of MSF, said the planning must continue for prevention efforts. “There are no quick fixes,” she told the board. “This is not something you can expect to see results overnight.”

Delaney explained environmental prevention as an avenue for working on the problem. She said the strategy addresses all aspects of the situation, from home to school to community.

Supervisor Lyle Turpin commented at the end of the presentation. “It’s a tremendous challenge,” he said. “It’s a tough situation, but somebody’s got to do it.”

Delaney agreed. “We’ve got to change the environments,” of the drug users, she said. “Not only their homes, but the communities these kids live in.”