Early use of drugs or alcohol has been linked to a several times greater risk of developing substance dependence, as the majority of Americans aged 18–30 admitted for substance abuse treatment initiated alcohol or drug use before the age of 18.
The use of alcohol and illicit drugs by teenagers and youth is a serious issue. With a problem this widespread, we wanted to find out where youth drinking and drug use is most prominent. So, we compared data from the United States and European nations to find out just how many high school students are engaging in binge drinking and marijuana use. Read on to learn more about patterns of youth drinking and drug use around the globe.
Marijuana and Binge Drinking Across the U.S.
First, we examined data from state agencies on high school students’ binge drinking or use of marijuana within the past month. Binge drinking is defined by the Centers for Disease Control as drinking five or more alcoholic beverages within two hours. A clear coastal pattern can be seen when we map binge drinking patterns and marijuana use by state: Along the East Coast, West Coast, and some Southwest and Midwest states, marijuana use by high school students was more frequent than binge drinking.
However, binge drinking was more widespread than marijuana use for students in a wide swath of Central and Western states extending from Montana to Texas, as well as in a smattering of Southern states such as Louisiana, Alabama, Kentucky, and West Virginia. In only two states, Pennsylvania and Nevada, were both alcohol and marijuana used at about equal rates.
Drug and Alcohol Use Among U.S. High School Students
Next, we took a closer look at the available information on state-by-state prevalence of past-month binge drinking among high school students, as well as past-month marijuana use. We’ve seen that marijuana use and binge drinking are each more prevalent in certain areas of the country, but just how substantial are these gaps?
In some states, the difference is especially notable: 20% of Georgia high school students reported using marijuana within the past month, compared to only 13% who acknowledged binge drinking over the same time period. Alaska showed a similar pattern, with 20% using marijuana and 13% engaging in binge drinking. A particularly wide gap was observed in New Mexico, where 17% of high school students binged on alcohol recently, while 28% used marijuana. Other states, such as Iowa, showed a much greater frequency of binge drinking: 23% of students in this state reported recently binge drinking, but only 11% had used marijuana over the past month.
Interestingly, the differences were not very large in states that have taken a more relaxed approach to marijuana policy. Past-month marijuana use in Washington state was seen to occur among 27% of students, compared to 22% for binge drinking – and binge drinking was actually slightly more common than marijuana use in Colorado (22% vs. 20%).
We also looked at lifetime cocaine use – usage of cocaine even one time – among the high school population, as well as illicit usage of prescription drugs. In contrast to recent binge drinking and use of marijuana, lifetime cocaine use was relatively uncommon, ranging from a low of 3% in Nebraska to 10% in Arizona and New Mexico. However, lifetime illicit use of prescription drugs, such as opioid painkillers and benzodiazepines, was vastly more common.
In some areas, students’ lifetime usage rates for illicit prescription drugs were comparable to their past-month binge drinking rates. In Indiana, 20% of high school students reported binge drinking in the past month, while 21% had used illicit prescription drugs over their life. And while only 14% of California students engaged in binge drinking over the past month, 17% had used prescription drugs illicitly at least once. While regional rates can vary significantly, one trend is undeniable – alcohol and drug use remains a serious issue facing America’s youth.
Reposted from Projectknow.com. Read the article at https://bit.ly/3ejxfJZ
High School Drug Use Trends
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Posted: April 14, 2020 by drmoea
Early use of drugs or alcohol has been linked to a several times greater risk of developing substance dependence, as the majority of Americans aged 18–30 admitted for substance abuse treatment initiated alcohol or drug use before the age of 18.
The use of alcohol and illicit drugs by teenagers and youth is a serious issue. With a problem this widespread, we wanted to find out where youth drinking and drug use is most prominent. So, we compared data from the United States and European nations to find out just how many high school students are engaging in binge drinking and marijuana use. Read on to learn more about patterns of youth drinking and drug use around the globe.
Marijuana and Binge Drinking Across the U.S.
First, we examined data from state agencies on high school students’ binge drinking or use of marijuana within the past month. Binge drinking is defined by the Centers for Disease Control as drinking five or more alcoholic beverages within two hours. A clear coastal pattern can be seen when we map binge drinking patterns and marijuana use by state: Along the East Coast, West Coast, and some Southwest and Midwest states, marijuana use by high school students was more frequent than binge drinking.
However, binge drinking was more widespread than marijuana use for students in a wide swath of Central and Western states extending from Montana to Texas, as well as in a smattering of Southern states such as Louisiana, Alabama, Kentucky, and West Virginia. In only two states, Pennsylvania and Nevada, were both alcohol and marijuana used at about equal rates.
Drug and Alcohol Use Among U.S. High School Students
Next, we took a closer look at the available information on state-by-state prevalence of past-month binge drinking among high school students, as well as past-month marijuana use. We’ve seen that marijuana use and binge drinking are each more prevalent in certain areas of the country, but just how substantial are these gaps?
In some states, the difference is especially notable: 20% of Georgia high school students reported using marijuana within the past month, compared to only 13% who acknowledged binge drinking over the same time period. Alaska showed a similar pattern, with 20% using marijuana and 13% engaging in binge drinking. A particularly wide gap was observed in New Mexico, where 17% of high school students binged on alcohol recently, while 28% used marijuana. Other states, such as Iowa, showed a much greater frequency of binge drinking: 23% of students in this state reported recently binge drinking, but only 11% had used marijuana over the past month.
Interestingly, the differences were not very large in states that have taken a more relaxed approach to marijuana policy. Past-month marijuana use in Washington state was seen to occur among 27% of students, compared to 22% for binge drinking – and binge drinking was actually slightly more common than marijuana use in Colorado (22% vs. 20%).
We also looked at lifetime cocaine use – usage of cocaine even one time – among the high school population, as well as illicit usage of prescription drugs. In contrast to recent binge drinking and use of marijuana, lifetime cocaine use was relatively uncommon, ranging from a low of 3% in Nebraska to 10% in Arizona and New Mexico. However, lifetime illicit use of prescription drugs, such as opioid painkillers and benzodiazepines, was vastly more common.
In some areas, students’ lifetime usage rates for illicit prescription drugs were comparable to their past-month binge drinking rates. In Indiana, 20% of high school students reported binge drinking in the past month, while 21% had used illicit prescription drugs over their life. And while only 14% of California students engaged in binge drinking over the past month, 17% had used prescription drugs illicitly at least once. While regional rates can vary significantly, one trend is undeniable – alcohol and drug use remains a serious issue facing America’s youth.
Reposted from Projectknow.com. Read the article at https://bit.ly/3ejxfJZ
Category: Blog Tags: binge drinking, marijuana use, substance abuse, teen drug use