Alcohol and Other Drug Use

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Mitchell Bryce Simpson
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1 Health Focus Area 2 Alcohol and Other Drug Use Alcohol and Other Drug Use focuses on - Any use of a mood-altering substance (such as alcohol, prescription substances, illegal moodaltering substances) that result in negative consequences. Negative consequences include: Motor vehicle injury or death Drinking while pregnant Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder Underage drinking Alcohol or other drug dependence Alcohol- or drug-related hospitalizations, deaths Criminal activity Liquor or drug violations Alcohol and Other Drug Use issues are important because - While Wisconsin s drinking culture is not intentionally harmful, Wisconsin tops the nation in wasted lives, harm, and death associated with its drinking culture. Wisconsin has some of the highest U.S. rates of underage drinking, binge drinking among adults and self-reported drinking before driving. Excessive, unhealthy and illegal drinking results in societal problems such as homelessness, child abuse, crime, unemployment, injury, health problems, hospitalizations, suicide, fetal abnormalities and early death. Furthermore, abuse of illicit drugs, including the non-medical use of mood-altering prescribed drugs, inflicts tremendous harm upon individuals, families, and communities. Other drug problems, including abuse of powder and crack cocaine, heroin, marijuana, methamphetamine and opiate-based prescription drugs, occurs across Wisconsin and in Eau Claire County. As a result, drug-related hospitalizations and deaths are on the rise in Wisconsin. Source: Healthiest Wisconsin 2020 Eau Claire County Data Highlights Alcohol A long tradition of brewing and consuming alcohol exists in Wisconsin and Eau Claire County (ECC). Since 2000, Wisconsin has had some of the highest rates in the nation of adult and underage drinking. In 2011, 67.1% of adults in Wisconsin reported drinking alcohol in the past 30 days; 13% higher than the nationwide rate of 54.1%. 1 Wisconsin high school students ranked 11 th in current alcohol use among all reporting states in % of ECC high school students and 14.2% of ECC middle school students report monthly use of alcohol. 3 Eau Claire City-County Community Health Assessment

2 ECC youth report first using alcohol at the average age of Youth who begin drinking before age 15 are four times more likely to develop a serious alcohol problem than those who begin to drink at age 21. If drinking is delayed until age 21, the risk of serious alcohol problems is decreased by 7. 4 Percent of Year Olds in Eau Claire County Estimated to Have a Serious Problem with Alcohol Use % % In 2011, Wisconsin ranked 1 st nationwide for adult heavy drinking. Heavy drinking is defined as adult men who have more than two drinks per day and adult women who have more than one drink per day. 1 Wisconsin ranked 1 st nationwide for adult binge drinking from Binge drinking is defined as adult men having 5 or more drinks on one occasion or females having 4 or more drinks on one occasion. 1 27% of ECC residents report excessive drinking, which includes binge drinking and heavy drinking. The county range in Wisconsin is 14-33% Percent of Eau Claire County Youth Who Report Binge Drinking % % 31.4% 27.4% 4.4% 3.9% 3.2% High School Middle School The percent of youth who report having 5 or more glasses of alcohol within a few hours has steadily declined over the past several years. In 2010, 56% of UWEC students reported binge drinking in the previous two weeks. 7 Eau Claire City-County Community Health Assessment

3 ECC s average annual mortality rate from alcohol-related causes vehicle crashes, alcoholic liver cirrhosis, alcohol-related suicide, alcohol poisoning, etc. was 14.4 per 100,000 population from Wisconsin counties ranged between 11.2 per 100,000 to 30.3 per 100, Arrests for Operating a Motor Vehicle While Intoxicated, Rate per 100,000 Population United States 400 Wisconsin Eau Claire Eau Claire County s rates of OWI arrests in 2009 and 2010 were higher than both the state and national rates. Drugs Other than Alcohol Drugs other than alcohol continue to be a problem in Wisconsin and Eau Claire County (ECC). In general, Wisconsin rates of illicit drug use reflect the national averages. The majority of current data available is regarding secondary and post-secondary student use of illicit drugs. Percent of Eau Claire County High School Students Who Report Monthly Use of Any Illicit Drug % 18.2% % The number of ECC high school students using illicit drugs has been steadily decreasing since In 2010, 5.3% of UWEC students report that they are current users of illicit drugs other than marijuana. 7 Eau Claire City-County Community Health Assessment

4 Approximately 1 of ECC high school students reported non-medical use of prescription drugs to get high in the past year. 3 In 2011, 18% of Wisconsin high school students reported using prescription drugs for nonmedical purposes at some time in their life. 2 One-third of ECC high school students report that it is fairly easy or very easy to get someone else s prescription drugs. The three most common ways ECC youth report getting prescription drugs: given to them by a friend, bought them from someone, or took them from home without permission. 3 7% 6% 4% 3% 2% 1% Percent of Eau Claire County High School Students Who Report Monthly and Annual Use of Various Illicit Drugs Monthly Annual *Non medical Percent of Eau Claire County High School Students Who Report Monthly Use of Marijuana % % 16.3% 15.2% 14.1% School Year The percent of ECC high school students who report using marijuana monthly steadily decreased from Eau Claire City-County Community Health Assessment

5 3 1 1 Prevalence of Current Marijuana Use among High School Students in Wisconsin and United States from % 22% 22% 16% 21% 19% 22% 21% United States Wisconsin The rate of marijuana use by high school students in both Wisconsin and the United States has fluctuated since 2001, but has declined overall. In 2011, the average age ECC youth first used marijuana was In 2010, 19.8% of UWEC students reported that they were current marijuana users. 5 In , ECC had one of the highest county rates (all ages) of drug-related hospitalizations at 411 per 100,000 population. The state average was 266 per 100,000 population in Rate Drug Law Arrests (all ages) 2009 and 2010 Rate per 100,000 population United States Wisconsin Eau Claire ECC drug law arrests (all ages) decreased from 2009 to 2010, but remained above state and national rates. Eau Claire City-County Community Health Assessment

6 Key Survey Findings 6% of residents felt that Alcohol and Other Drug Use is either a moderate or major problem for themselves and their families. 82% of respondents from community organizations report that Alcohol and Other Drug Use is either a moderate or major problem for their clients. 51% and 53% respectively felt this was an area in need of improvement in Eau Claire County. Source: Community Health Assessment of Eau Claire County Residents/Organizations, 2012 References 1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2011). Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) Alcohol Prevalence and Trends Data. 2. Office of Health Informatics, Division of Public Health, Wisconsin Department of Health Services. (September 2012). Wisconsin Epidemiological Profile on Alcohol and Other Drug Use, PRIDE (Parent s Resource Institute for Drug Education) Survey Reports for Eau Claire County Schools. 4. Grant, B.F. and Dawson, D.A. Age at Onset of Alcohol Use and its Association with DMS-IV Alcohol Abuse and Dependence: Results from the National Longitudinal Alcohol Epidemiologic Survey, Journal of Substance Abuse 9: , George Washington University Medical School Alcohol Cost Calculator for Kids University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. (2012). County Health Rankings & Roadmaps. Accessed on February 12, 2013 from 7. University of Wisconsin Eau Claire. (2010). Core Alcohol and Drug Survey. Eau Claire City-County Community Health Assessment

A conversation with CDC s Alcohol Program, September 5, 2014

A conversation with CDC s Alcohol Program, September 5, 2014 Participants Robert Brewer, MD, MSPH Epidemiologist; Lead, Excessive Alcohol Use Prevention Team (Alcohol Program), Division of Population Health