Utah’s health leaders had good news to report this year: according to the 2025 Student Health and Risk Prevention survey, students statewide are making healthier choices and feeling more connected to their families and schools.
The SHARP survey is administered every other year. It’s an opportunity for 6th, 8th, 10th and 12th graders statewide to voice their readiness to face issues like tobacco use, underage drinking, school safety, bullying and mental health.
According to the 2025 results, Summit County students reported lower rates of alcohol, marijuana, vape and prescription drug use.
Almost 21% of Summit County students reported they tried alcohol at least once, an almost 24% decrease from 2023. There was also a 42% decrease in reported marijuana use, with almost 10% of students saying they’ve tried it.
Summit County students had an almost 37% decrease in vaping since 2023 — marijuana or tobacco — with almost 10% reporting they had vaped before.
Wasatch County students also saw decreases in substance use. In 2025, over 3% reported they had tried marijuana, an almost 63% decrease over the last two years. And there was an almost 64% decrease in vaping with 3.5% of students saying they had vaped before.
However, more Wasatch students reported drinking alcohol than in 2023. Almost 10% in 2025 said they’d had a drink, a 10% increase from the previous survey.
Summit and Wasatch counties are following a statewide downward trend in alcohol and drug use. Utah’s K-12 alcohol use remains among the lowest in the nation. Just under 11% of Utah students say they have experimented with alcohol.
And while Summit County has almost double the alcohol and drug use compared to Wasatch County and state averages, Summit County Director of Behavioral Health Prevention Pamella Bello said the county follows national trends.
“We are lower or the same as the rest of the country, so we always follow the same trends that are out there, but we are a little bit different than the rest of Utah,” she said. “It's always been like that.”
Bello attributes the decrease in alcohol and drug use in Summit County to the collaboration between local nonprofits, the health department and local schools. They work together to improve student mental health and educate them about drugs and alcohol.
Afterschool programs, whether it's a sport or club, also help students stay healthy.
“It's giving them a purpose, it’s teaching them new things. That helps with their mental health, that helps them get busy and not be out there trying to find trouble or finding trouble,” Bello said.
Depression rates among Wasatch Back students have also decreased, following a statewide trend.
According to the SHARP survey, almost 45% of Summit County students reported no depressive symptoms. That’s an improvement of 63%. Almost 38% of Wasatch County students said they have no depressive symptoms, a 30% improvement from 2023.
Bello said the trend down is likely due to the increase in mental health awareness.
She also reminded families of the best way to decrease youth alcohol and drug use and depression rates: talk to your kids.
“It's important for families to bond, to spend time together, for these kids to trust their parents, to be able to talk to their parents,” Bello said. “Research shows that that prevents these kids in the future from making high-risk choices.”
She said parents should start talking to their children and setting expectations about drugs and alcohol at about 9 years old. That’s because by 13, studies show teens have already decided how they feel about substances.
