DANVILLE — A survey of 3,000-plus teenagers in Vermilion County shows a decrease in the use of alcohol and drugs in the past eight years, but bullying and body image are still serious concerns.

The results of the 2010 Youth Risk Behavior health survey, administered by I Sing the Body Electric, give local leaders and educators an idea of what youth are going through — and which issues need immediate attention.

“The five years of survey data have given us tremendous insight into what our students are thinking about, what their concerns are,” said Dottie McLaughlin, I Sing the Body Electric program coordinator.

Mark Denman, superintendent of Danville District 118, said the survey helps the district be proactive.

“It gives us information in a timely way. We can take steps to remedy any problem,” he said.

The 2010 survey results were released Thursday in a press conference at Provena United Samaritans Medical Center. I Sing the Body Electric is a community outreach program of Provena USMC Foundation.

From January through May 2010, I Sing the Body Electric staff administered the Centers for Disease Control Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance survey to 3,164 students from 12 high schools in Vermilion County. That’s the highest number of students surveyed since the program began in 2002, and represents about 77 percent of the teen population in the county.

The survey has been given every other year since 2002, and the next will be in 2012.

McLaughlin and others were pleased with some of the results, compared with 2002:

• 42.6 percent decrease in the number of youth who drink and drive
• A decrease every survey year in the overall numbers of youth who have had at least one drink of alcohol in their life
• 12.2 percent decrease in youth who have ever used marijuana
• 51.8 percent decrease in high school students who have ever used methamphetamines
• 25.3 percent decrease in youth who are current smokers (within 30 days before the survey)
• 22.2 percent decrease in those seriously considering a suicide attempt
• Decreases in unhealthy methods of losing weight

“Those are wonderful statistics,” McLaughlin said. “In those eight years, we’ve seen dramatic reductions, especially in alcohol use.”

However, she added, “We have to do work to continue to see the number going down.”

Other issues continue to be problems, such as:

• 46.1 percent of females and 35 percent of males reported being the target of bullying on school property
• 40.6 percent of females reported feeling sad or hopeless almost every day for two weeks or more in a row; the figure was 31.9 percent in 2002
• 31.9 percent of females and 16.7 percent of males report deliberate self-harm (cutting or hurting oneself)
• The attempted suicide rate, while decreasing, is still nearly twice as high for county youth (12.4 percent) as national youth (6.3 percent)
• 55.7 percent of teens reported having had sexual intercourse at least once in their lifetime, an increase of 4.5 percent from 2002.

The survey also shows that 13-14 is the age group where youth try their first drink of alcohol, cigarette or marijuana.

Three steps

The survey is the first step in a three-phase health education and prevention program.

The next step is to take the students’ top 10 health concerns and use artwork to make prevention messages; those projects are expected to be finished April 12. The culmination is an arts and health festival May 1 at Danville Area Community College.

For at least two young women, the art projects changed their lives.

Megan Koss and Brittany Thomas, both students at Danville Area Community College, channeled their emotions stemming from traumatic events into artwork. Through that, they learned it was OK to talk about the problems in their lives, and that sharing their experiences helps others.

The students, both graduates of Jamaica High School, were among the speakers Thursday at the press conference. The projects influenced their career choices: Koss will graduate as a registered nurse in December, and Thomas plans to pursue a degree in art therapy.

Koss wrote a poem about domestic violence as part of her project, and that led to a passion for poetry. Thomas, who was the victim of an alcoholic parent, has done six projects during four years.

In the final phase, the projects are taken on tours to schools in Vermilion County, as well as to community events, health fairs and businesses. The tours educate the community about the health concerns of the youth and encourage young people to form healthy behaviors and make good choices.

The projects wouldn’t be possible without the cooperation of area teachers, McLaughlin said, as well as proceeds from the Festival of Trees and other funding sources.