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Maternal & Child Health > Needs Assessment > Alcohol and Substance Abuse in Children and Adolescents Fact Sheet Alcohol and Substance Abuse in Children and Adolescents Fact Sheet

Healthy People 2010 Goal:

  • To reduce the alcohol use and marijuana use by adolescents of ages 12-17 years to 11% and to 0.7% respectively.

Consequences:

  • Long-term heavy alcohol drinking increases risk for heart disease, for developing certain forms of cancer, and for cirrhosis and liver disorders.
  • Alcohol drinking is a major factor for homicides, suicides, and motor vehicle crash death and injuries.
  • Illegal use of drugs is associated with school dropouts, unwanted pregnancies, injury, illness, disability and death.

Prevalence in Indiana:


For the year 2003,

  • 46.1% of the high school seniors and 24.3% of the 8 th grade students reported consuming alcohol. (The 2002 U.S. rate for high school seniors and 8 th graders was 48.6% and 19.6% respectively). (Alcohol Tobacco and Other Drug Use Survey, 2002)
  • 20.5% of the high school students in Indiana reported using marijuana at least once in a month. (In 2002 U.S. rate for high school students was 21.5%.) (Alcohol Tobacco and Other Drug Use Survey, 2002.)
  • 12.8% of the Indiana high school students use psychedelics. (In U.S. the rate was 12%.) (Alcohol Tobacco and Other Drug Use Survey, 2002)

Trends toward meeting Healthy People 2010 goals:

Between 2000 and 2003,

  • There is a slow and inconsistent decline in alcohol and substance use by all Indiana adolescents, except in 6 th graders.
  • The monthly use of alcohol by Indiana 6 th graders were increased by 0.7% while the annual use of alcohol increased by 0.4%.
  • None of the age groups reached or are likely to reach the Healthy people 2010 goal.

Alcohol Usage Chart
Source: Alcohol Tobacco and Other Drug Use Survey, Indiana Prevention Resource Center

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