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Cannabis use is rising among R.I. middle schoolers; high school alcohol use is down, survey finds • Rhode Island Current

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Cannabis use is rising among R.I. middle schoolers; high school alcohol use is down, survey finds • Rhode Island Current


This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, please call or text the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.

Yesterday’s vices have lost some favor among Rhode Island’s teens and preteens, a new survey suggests.

And yet cannabis seems to have found a bigger audience — namely among middle schoolers — according to the 2024 Rhode Island Student Survey, which is conducted every two years by the Rhode Island Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities & Hospitals (BHDDH) with help from the state’s health and education departments.

Students overall reported using fewer substances of all kinds, but pot consumption rose significantly among the middle-school demographic, with 7.8% using it in the past 30 days, an increase from the 5.4% usage observed by the last survey in 2022. Middle schoolers used cannabis more than any other drug, including alcohol.

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“That’s not the good news,” said BHDDH Director Richard Leclerc at a presentation of survey results Tuesday at Classical High School.

Leclerc instead pointed to results that show substance use reported by Rhode Island high school students is largely stagnant or slowly declining. Among high schoolers, for instance, past 30-day use of marijuana dropped from 14.9% to 10.9%.

This year’s report surveyed over 23,000 students in 29 school districts, including Providence for the first time. The online, 30-minute survey featured 81 questions — with several new ones about gambling and cellphone use added this year — and was offered in English and Spanish. Students in grades six through 12 participated voluntarily with parental permission, and each respondent received a brochure with information for resources or support.

Middle and high school students in this year’s survey said they used alcohol, vapes, cigarettes and sedatives at rates smaller than in recent years, and most kids believe that family and friends would disapprove of substance use.

“The numbers you see today show that our prevention efforts are working,” Leclerc said.

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Rebecca Elwell, regional director of the state-partnered Newport County Prevention Coalition, agreed. “We work every day to build a safety network for the young people in the state of Rhode Island, through strengthening their positive attributes and addressing the risk factors that young people face,” Elwell said. “Prevention is a science. We use evidence based strategies that have been tested and replicated.”

The peer and parental pressure to not do drugs was reflected in student responses about actual use. Reports of marijuana use in the past 30 days dropped from roughly one in seven high school students to one in nine, while e-cigarette and vape use fell from one in eight to one in 14. Alcohol use showed marked decline among high schoolers, with rates dropping from 14.5% to 10%. Fewer students reported being passengers in cars with impaired drivers. 

The numbers you see today show that our prevention efforts are working.

– Richard Leclerc , director of the Rhode Island Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities & Hospitals

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Simone Punchak, a senior at Classical High School, told those gathered for Tuesday’s program that her experience as a member of the Mayor’s Youth Prevention Team has taught her “that prevention is not just about ensuring that others are limited from potential risks, but that they are provided with the opportunities for success.” 

“The Rhode Island Student Survey is a powerful tool in this effort,” Punchak said. “The data it provides helps us better understand our challenges and guides us in building stronger programs for the future.”

The data report also crunches the numbers for different regions in Rhode Island, a unique feature important to securing federal funding for prevention efforts. Regional profiles can be found on the BHDDH website

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The slowly waning rates of substance use among today’s high schoolers, whatever the cause, is even starker when compared to teens at the turn of the millennium. Youth Risk Behavior Survey data from 1997 showed that 36% of Rhode Islander’s high schoolers had been in a car with an impaired driver. In 2024, only 14% of high schoolers said the same on the Rhode Island Student Survey.

But Colleen Judge, director of student assistance services of school-based prevention nonprofit Rhode Island Student Assistant Services, pointed out that some things stay the same. “We need to remember that adolescence is challenging,” she said. “How could you forget?”

Other highlights from the survey included:  

  • Eighth and ninth graders comprised 25% and 22% of respondents. High school juniors and seniors responded at rates of 4% and 3%, respectively. Overall, male and female participants were about evenly split at just under half across grade levels. Transgender students and students with other gender identities made up about 4% of survey respondents. 
  • Bullying rates dipped a handful of percentage points in the midst of the pandemic in the 2020 survey but have since returned to their pre-pandemic levels. That still didn’t translate to any major increases among high schoolers, but middle schoolers reported a two or three percentage point increase in bullying online or by text. 
  • An average of about 38% of students across grades admitted they had “made fun of other people,” while 16% of middle schoolers said they had spread rumors, and another 15% had sent hurtful texts or pictures to a peer.
  • Less than 15% of both middle and high school students said they had “considered attempting” suicide. Among the high school students who reported having suicidal thoughts, 35% made an attempt, down from 41% in 2022. (The rate was 35% in 2018.) But middle schoolers who made suicide attempts rose from 45% in 2022 to 46% in this year’s survey.

The appeal of scratch lottery tickets

Gambling and screen time, newly added in this year’s survey questions, couldn’t be compared to past years’ data but both appeared to be relatively popular habits. 

About 21% of students reported they had tried gambling. The most popular form of gambling was scratch lottery tickets. Gifted scratch off tickets accounted for 19% of student gambling habits — outpacing games of chance enjoyed by the young adult crowd, like fantasy sports, which only 5% of high schoolers had bet on.

About half of students said they use their phone between one and five hours a day, although most reported they often spent more time on the devices than they’d like. A troubling 6% of middle schoolers and 4% of high schoolers reported that they spent 16 or more hours daily on their phones.

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Providence man arrested in connection to narcotics and firearms investigation | ABC6

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PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — Rhode Island State Police said a Providence man was arrested after police allegedly discovered multiple narcotics and a gun inside two residences on Sept. 23.

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47-year-old Joel Garcia was charged with possession with the intent to deliver over 1 kilogram of fentanyl, possession with the intent to deliver over 1 kilogram of cocaine, possession with the intent to deliver one ounce to one kilogram of methamphetamine, possession with the intent to deliver fentanyl, possession with the intent to deliver cocaine, possession with the intent to deliver methamphetamine, possession of a firearm while committing a controlled substance violation, unlawful possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, and distribution of a controlled substance in a school zone.

According to RISP, police received court-authorized search warrants for two residences in Providence in connection to a narcotics and firearms investigation.

Inside an apartment on Dresser Street, police allegedly seized 1.7 kilograms of fentanyl, 2.3 kilograms of cocaine, and 147 grams of methamphetamine.

Police also searched Garcia’s residence on Portland Street and allegedly seized one fully loaded pistol.

According to police, Garcia had allegedly used the apartment on Dresser Street to “store, package, and distribute large amounts of fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine.”

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Garcia was arrested and charged.

RISP, Providence police, Cranston police, North Providence police, Johnston police, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Rhode Island National Guard Counterdrug Program assisted in the investigation.





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The Ocean State’s Bond With Robert Redford

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The Ocean State’s Bond With Robert Redford


Millions have been mourning the death of a cinematic icon over the last week with the passing of Robert Redford at age 89.

The award-winning actor is arguably one of the most famous of all time. With over 70 films to his credit on screen and nine he directed throughout his career, Redford’s work in cinema stands out as some of the greatest.

Though only two of Redford’s movies were ever filmed in Rhode Island, the Oscar-winning actor has a deep connection with the Ocean State.

Redford’s Family Roots Near Rhode Island

Though no Redfords actually lived in Rhode Island, Robert’s family was longtime residents of Stonington, CT and several members were born in nearby Westerly, RI.

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READ MORE: ‘Sopranos’ Star Officially Becomes a Rhode Island Resident

Throughout Robert Redford’s childhood there were visits to his grandparents in Stonington, where his grandfather worked as a milkman.

Presumably this time in Stonington meant crossing the state line into Westerly on more than one occasion in his youth and perhaps led to his love of the Rhode Island seaside in later years.

Filming The Great Gatsby in Newport

During his career, Redford came to Newport in the 1970s to film The Great Gatsby at the historic Rosecliff Mansion. Decades later he returned to Rhode Island with the science fiction film The Discovery and even wrote a thank you letter to Newport,  praising their preservation efforts in the city.

READ MORE: HGTV Says You Need to Drive This Road in Newport

Though when he did ultimately settle in New England, Redford chose Weston, CT as his home for almost two decades. He purchased a home not too far from his close friend and fellow actor, Paul Newman.

Evan Agostini/Getty Images

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Rhode Island Honors Robert Redford

Rhode Island never forgot its ties to the beloved actor however. In 2002 Redford was asked to be the commencement speaker at Brown University and that same year Trinity Repertory Company awarded him a Pell Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Arts.

Just one of the many lifetime achievement awards Robert Redford would go on to accumulate during his illustrious career.

20 Stars Who Hail From Rhode Island

Rhode Island may be the smallest state in the nation, but it has been home to many celebrities. Though some have moved here, filmed here or attended school here, only a handful were actually born here. These are those celebrities.

Gallery Credit: Nancy Hall

Academy Award and Golden Globe Winners from Massachusetts

These Massachusetts natives have taken home some of Hollywood’s top honors.

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Gallery Credit: Michaela Johnson

30 Things To Do in Newport Any Time of Year

Newport has always been seen as a summer destination. Wealthy New Yorkers used to escape the city in the hotter months for this picturesque seaside spot and the label as a summer vacation destination began.

There are, however, plenty of things to do in this historic town in any season and we’ve found a few that you may want to try the next time you head to Newport.

Gallery Credit: Nancy Hall





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GoLocalProv | Sports | VIDEO: Providence’s Lassiter Scores 44-Yard TD in Vanderbilt’s Upset Over #11 South Carolina

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GoLocalProv | Sports | VIDEO: Providence’s Lassiter Scores 44-Yard TD in Vanderbilt’s Upset Over #11 South Carolina


Sunday, September 14, 2025

 

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Zell Lassiter
PHOTO: Via Vanderbilt

Providence’s Jamezell Lassiter had a big play on a huge stage on Saturday when Vanderbilt football upset #11 South Carolina. SEE 7:25 MARK.

Lassiter, who played for the Edgewood Eagles and the Mount Hope Cowboys and attended the San Miguel School in Providence, smoked the Gamecocks on a 44-yard touchdown score.

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Vanderbilt won 31-7 over No. 11 South Carolina, snapping a 16-game losing streak between the two programs. 

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Zell Lassiter PHOTO: Vanderbilt Athletics

In 2024, GoLocal sports columnist Robert McMahon wrote about Lassiter’s journey to the top Division I program:

His athletic skills impressed his San Miguel classmates. Flag football, soccer, basketball—Jamezell could do it all. He was a natural athlete.

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But the transformation of Zell, as he likes to be called, happened in the San Miguel classroom. 

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