The results are in from the latest YRBS report, and there is some good news to report!
WATERBURY, VT – As students get ready for the new school year, the latest survey of Vermont high school and middle schoolers is showing recent improvements in their mental health as well as declines in vaping, alcohol and marijuana use.
About a quarter of Vermont high school students report recently experiencing poor mental health – a nearly 10% decrease from 2023, when a third of students reported mental health concerns like persistent feelings of anxiety or hopelessness. Students are also reporting self-harm and making suicide plans at rates lower than those reported in 2023.
Teen substance use is on the decline too: 18% of students report using marijuana, 22% report drinking alcohol, and 6% report smoking cigarettes – a marked decline across these categories compared to a decade ago. Vaping has also declined from a peak of 29% of students saying they vaped in 2019 to just 14% in 2025, with most students saying it would be wrong for someone their age to vape.