By NEIL ZOLOT
NORTH READING — The frequency of drinking, smoking and other use of tobacco, vaping, and using marijuana and unauthorized prescription drugs students is continuing to trend downward, according to the 2025 Core Measurement Report submitted by Drug Free Communities Director Amy Luckiewicz at the School Committee meeting at the E. Ethel Little Elementary School May 19.
“The Youth Substance Use Prevention Coalition is thrilled to read that substance use is down for the second year in a row,” she said. “This community challenge is being met through the combined efforts of volunteers, the schools, police and most importantly, families. We’re in Year 9 of our 10 year federally funded grant and to see these kinds of declines really speaks to the science-based efforts of our primary prevention strategies.”
Results are based on answers to use in the past 30 days in a survey for Middle and High School students given in April. 679 students participated, with a high response rate of 75.1% in 10th grade signifying a rise in the response rate for that grade of 8.16%. Response rates fell in other grades, however, including a drop of 20.71% in 6th grade.
The biggest drop in use since 2023 is in smoking and tobacco use. It has dropped 15.21% from 20% use in 2023 and 15% use in 2024 to 5%” “this year.
Students answered they had used nicotine pouches, not a survey subject in the past, 0% in 6th, 7th grades and 10th grades; 1.2% in 8th; 1.9% in 11th and 8.3% in 12th.
Vaping dropped 14.02%, from 19.9% use in 2023 and 15% use in 2024 to 5.1% this year.
Drinking dropped 13.82%, from 24% use in 2023 and 19.8% use in 2024 to 10% this year.
Use of unauthorized prescription drugs, i.e. prescription drugs prescribed to someone else, dropped 13.48%, from 17% use in 2023 and
14% use in 2024 to 3.5% this year. Marijuana use dropped 12.37%, from 19.5% use in 2023 and 15.5% use in 2024 to 6.5% this year.
Some of the trends are above national averages from the National Institute on Drug Abuse at the University of Michigan, particularly among 12th graders. 33.33% reported drinking compared to 21.5% nationally; 21.62% reported using marijuana compared to 16.2% nationally; 18.02% reported using to- bacco compared to 2.5% nationally and 8.11 % reported using unauthorized prescription drugs compared to 1.7% nationally.
Another category in the survey for the second time was in-person or online gambling. It also dropped 8.2% from 26.3% in 2024 to 18.1% this year. Luckiewicz identified gambling, along with use of nicotine pouches, as a “trending concern” last year.
According to the survey most substances are used a friends’ houses, with the second most popular place being at home or outside. Most unauthorized use of prescription drugs is at home, with students presumably using family members’ medication at home, with inside the school being second.
“The Core Measurement Survey provides critical data about the behaviors of our youth and helps us to develop training, education, and prevention activities to engage our students and parents,” Superintendent Dr. Patrick Daly said.
“It also is invaluable feedback on our core curriculum as well as the impact of guest speakers and other programs that we have brought in for our students and community,” Daly continued. “Ms. Luckiewicz works well with our administrators in implementing the survey” “and allowing us to customize questions to collect important data on district and school initiated such as sleep and social media use and its impact. We find this grant pro- gram and all of the work driven by this survey to be critical to our work with the youth of North Reading.”
“The report, as always, is well conceived, executed and presented,” School Committee chairman Jeff Friedman feels.
“Seeing the trend lines heading in the right direction is encouraging and tells us town and school efforts are paying off, but the work is far from done.”
Police Department Mental Health and Substance Abuse Clinician Laura Miranda added, “North Reading families can reach out if they or someone they know is interested in connecting to mental health or substance use related resources.”
Final meeting with Principal Molle
The meeting was the third and last of the School Committee’s annual visits to the neighborhood elementary schools. The first ever fifth grade Student Council presented a slideshow to show all the wonderful community service events they participated in this year with Joline Pepper as the Student Council Ad- visor. That was followed by the Little School Drama Club’s sneak preview of “Alice in Wonderland Jr.” The musical will be presented on Friday, June 13 at 6:30 p.m. and Saturday, June 14 at 4 p.m. at the NRHS Performing Arts Center under the direction of Christopher Tatro, Little School Performing Arts teacher.
It was the last such meeting for retiring principal Christine Molle.
“It was a true hon- or to host the School Committee as principal at our elementary school one final time,” Molle said. “This visit was especially meaning-ful, not only as an opportunity to showcase the incredible work of our students and staff but as a moment of reflection and gratitude as I prepare for retirement. Over the years, the support and partnership of the School Committee has played a vital role in helping our school grow into a place where children feel seen, valued and inspired to learn.”
She added, “I am proud of all that we’ve accomplished together and deeply appreciative of the chance to share this final visit with such dedicated advocates for education.”
“There was another incredible presentation by the Little School students and educators,” Daly said. “We are so proud of the great work they are doing every day under” “the leadership of Mrs. Molle. It was certainly bittersweet for us to experience her last presentation as principal as we are very sad to see her move on but also extremely grateful for her service. We wish her all the best in retirement.”
“I always have mixed feelings when considering the impending retirement of a great and long-standing leader,” Friedman added. “Mrs. Molle left indelible impressions on students, staff and the community across her tenure and we wish her well with her next adventures. At the same time we look forward to the start of a new legacy with new principal Julie Sciamanna.”