|
|
|
|
|
Drug, alcohol and tobacco use decreasing among Hoosier youth
Aug. 14, 2000
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- A trend showing decreases in most drug-taking behavior by Hoosier youth is reported in the latest Indiana Prevention Resource Center (IPRC) survey. Officials suggest that this reflects new, effective prevention initiatives.
William Bailey, executive director of the IPRC at Indiana University, said this year's survey marks the third consecutive year that decreases were noted in rates for tobacco, alcohol and drug use among Indiana youth.
"Today we can report that there is a clear trend of slow but steady decreases in most drug-taking behaviors by Hoosier youth," Bailey said. "These results strongly suggest that new prevention initiatives are working in Indiana."
The 10th annual survey involved some 72,000 youth in grades six through 12 at 231 schools. Funding for the survey is through a contract with the Indiana Division of Mental Health. The findings are posted on the Web at http://www.drugs.indiana.edu/drug_stats/youth2000/
Bailey said the tobacco decline is most pronounced in seventh through 10th grades, which are the grades targeted in a state prevention program that started in 1997.
"The decreases also coincide with new initiatives to increase retailer compliance with laws restricting youth access to tobacco products," Bailey said. "Compared to 1996, about 38,500 fewer Indiana children and adolescents smoked cigarettes on a monthly or more frequent basis in 2000, with more that two-thirds of this decline in seventh, eighth and ninth grades."
He said a major benefit of this decline is the potential for a future decline in the use of other drugs, because youthful smokers are 10 to 50 times more likely than nonsmokers to use marijuana, cocaine and other illicit drugs.
The report said that since 1997, "we have seen significant decreases in all measures of marijuana use in all grades. But the rates reported in 2000 are still much above the low point reported in 1992." There were nearly 25,000 fewer Hoosier adolescents smoking marijuana one or more times per month than there were in 1996.
Bailey said Hoosier youth smoked marijuana more often than the national norms in recent years, but the current level is in line with the national average. He credited new state prevention initiatives with having an impact in this category.
Bailey, associate professor of applied health science in the School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation, said youthful alcohol use resumed a slow pattern of decline, after an increase last year, with major decreases noted in lifetime, annual and monthly use rates for all grades. Significant exceptions were daily drinking and binge drinking. The report said this shows the prevention initiatives are more successful with lower or moderate risk groups of users and less effective among the high risk groups.
Possible explanations for the decreases in illicit drug use by Indiana children and adolescents include a new afternoon prevention initiative for middle school youth, a program for training and credentialing prevention professionals, and implementation of a national media campaign aimed at reducing illicit drug use by youth aged 12 through 17.
Bailey said these efforts are being expanded through a new statewide program to increase awareness of "scientifically defensible" prevention strategies and through funding of new local prevention coalition efforts. Some $8 million in federal money is financing these programs.
For more details on the report, contact Bailey at 812-855-1237 or baileyw@indiana.edu. Persons in Indiana may call toll-free at 800-346-3077.
(Richard Doty, 812-855-0084, rgdoty@indiana.edu)