[BFritz]

How do they find all of these statistics? I always see statistics like "98% of teens in the U.S. have at least tried marijuana." I've never once been asked about that, nor have I taken a survery or anything. It's not just marijuana, that was just an example. How do they justify saying things like that?

[ComeFlyWithMe]

They pick 100 random kids, probably out of places like eastern Kentucky, where meth and oxy is very bad, and they find the ones who are run aways and are living on the street and interview them.

[DTfan]

Well it's just so great to know that screwups are speaking on behalf of the millions of teenagers in the country. LoL...I think that 99% of statistics are made up...



**note the sarcaism**

[Doc Holliday]

When asked if marijuana affects peoples hearing

33% said yes.
33% said no.
and the rest didn't hear the question.

[Tomcat68]

I know at Ashland every year they would give us a pretty in depth survey of this type that was completely confidential that we were supposed to answer completely and honestly.

Things like that may be where they get lots of the numbers.

[Doc Holliday]

That is a statewide test part of the Governors anti drug plan there are several question placed in it to check the validity of the survey. Some of the drugs asked about are not real.

[BC75]

I guess its like a sample pole for an election like they have said.

But yes Dtfan, its a proven fact, 58% of statistics are made up.

[alfus21]

They take a large sample population, and get the answers of teenagers from all over the country.

With such a large number of in the sample, the margin of error calculated (Population Size/Sample Size) is very small resulting in a very close estimate.

Much like the Presidential Elections in which several thousand are asked who they would vote for, the margin of error usually 3% is always there.

The group that does most of these studies on teenagers and drug abuse is MTF(Monitoring the Future) They take samples from 8th, 10th, and 12th graders and ask of their use or contact within the last day, 30 days, 6 months, and lifetimes I think.

Here's their website.
http://www.monitoringthefuture.org/

[alfus21]

And no, they do not go find runaways and people on the street and interview them. These studies are given to teenagers in school. We took this survey when I was a senior in 2003.

[TOMCAT06]

I know at Ashland every year they would give us a pretty in depth survey of this type that was completely confidential that we were supposed to answer completely and honestly.

Things like that may be where they get lots of the numbers.

Yeh 68 I remember these! But remember how noone took them sirously!! Everyone answered just to be funny in many cases so its no wonder us teenagers look so bad!

[Playboy5]

I remember taking surveys like this when I was in high school!

[thetribe]

We took a survey in 7th or 8th grade that was really in depth but none since. People thought that it was funny to lie on them so the numbers are distorted. In high school certain students were picked at random to answer a survey, they lied on stuff about if they ever felt molested by teachers and stuff so a big committee came in and did all this stuff at the stuff by making a panel and asking them questions. It was awful because people lied thinking that it would be funny.

[BFritz]

I remember taking surveys like this when I was in high school!

I went to a private school for four years and a public school for one (hey, a lot of people go to high school for five years, get off my back), and I never had to take one.

[Woo Wee]

I guess its like a sample pole for an election like they have said.

But yes Dtfan, its a proven fact, 58% of statistics are made up.

:thatsfunn

[Cali]

I remember taking a survery sometime in high school about this kind of stuff. Either at Allen Central or South Floyd..I don't remember.