Youth Risk surveys are pointless, flawed, and can worsen kids’ addictions and sexual behaviors. Opt-out of them.

“Do you inhale permanent markers?”

“Do you inhale Wite-Out?”

“Have you ever inhaled glue?”

“How often do you inhale these substances?”

I remember taking “youth risk” surveys when I was in school, where you’re asked a series of questions about your potential drug and sexual habits. Of course these surveys were anonymous, but I learned so much more illegal ways to harm myself through these surveys than before taking the survey.

How beneficial are these surveys? Who really knows, but I know kids would just mess around and lie just for laughs.

I used Wite-Out all the time in middle and high school, but it never came to me to vigorously inhale it for a sense of euphoria. But now, I was technically more prone to trying it since I knew about it.

I remember a similar experience in pharmacy school, where the students were taught about all the side effects of many controlled substances, such as Ketamine, LSD, and at the time, marijuana. The effects it has on your brain allows you to smell music, taste colors, and even experience “out-of-body” sensations where you can see yourself outside your body.

Makes you want to try it right?

At least in pharmacy school I was learning about drugs to help me identify what drug a patient might have overdosed on, but do our kids really need to discover every single way to experience euphoria?

And discover it through a survey that is looking to improve adolescent health?

The irony is insane.