Vancouver, Wash. -- The West Van for Youth coalition has posted a survey to gather views on youth substance use from families and businesses in the west-side 98660, 98661 and 98663 zip codes.

The survey results will help the coalition know how to better serve youth in west Vancouver.

The coalition, made up of students, individuals and public and private agencies, works to promote healthy choices and reduce substance misuse among youth. It was established in 2011 as part of the Community Prevention and Wellness Initiative program funded and administered by the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services. Clark County is the fiscal agent for the coalition.

The survey, which is hosted on SurveyMonkey until Dec. 31, 2017, is anonymous. Responses will be kept confidential and reported only as aggregated data.

The survey is voluntary. A community member who takes the survey can decline to answer any question or stop the survey any time. The survey takes about 10 minutes to complete.

An English version of the survey is at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CLWEON2017.

A Spanish version of the survey is at https://es.surveymonkey.com/r/CLWESP2017.

The survey is among several recent efforts by coalition members to raise awareness about youth substance use and encourage youths to participate in drug prevention activities. In late October, coalition volunteers:

* Adorned trees and lamp posts in downtown Vancouver and west-side neighborhoods with red ribbons.
* Planted 400 red tulip bulbs in downtown Vancouver and west-side neighborhoods.
* Helped Discovery Middle School students create posters to educate classmates about anti-substance use campaigns.
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