Definition
Students who reported using alcohol or marijuana during the past 30 days. Data from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) are from students in grades 9-12. Data from the Prevention Needs Assessment Survey (PNA) are from students in grades 8, 10, and 12.Numerator
Number of students who reported using alcohol or marijuana during the past 30 days.Denominator
All public school students in grades 9-12 (YRBS) or grades 8, 10, and 12 (PNA).Data Interpretation Issues
The Youth Risk Behavior Survey is a nationally standardized survey. The Prevention Needs Assessment Survey is a state sponsored survey. Both of these surveys are administered by the School Health and Risk Prevention (SHARP) project and are conducted at the state level every odd-numbered year. Students complete a paper-and-pencil questionnaire during a class period. Students responses are anonymous.
The standard and national YRBS questionnaires are available at [https://www.cdc.gov/yrbs/questionnaires/index.html].
Information about the Prevention Needs Assessment survey can be found at [https://sumh.utah.gov/data-reports/sharp-survey/].Why Is This Important?
An adolescent brain is still developing, putting youth at greater risk of developing addiction and experiencing life long consequences from use. According to research conducted by Candice Odgers, et al., "early-exposed adolescents were at an increased risk for the adult outcomes of substance dependence, herpes infection, early pregnancy, failure to obtain educational qualifications, and criminal convictions."^1^[[br]]
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1. Odgers, C. L., Caspi, A., Nagin, D. S., Piquero, A. R., Slutske, W. S., Milne, B. J., Dickson, N., Poulton, R., & Moffitt, T. E. (2008). Is It Important to Prevent Early Exposure to Drugs and Alcohol Among Adolescents? Psychological Science, 19(10), 1037-1044.Other Objectives
Utah's 42 Community Health Indicators[[br]]
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====Healthy People Objective SU-05 subobjective:====
*{{style color:#003366 SU-05:}} Reduce the proportion of adolescents who used drugs in the past month[[br]] '''U.S. Target:''' 5.5 percent[[br]]
====Healthy People Objective SU-06 subobjective:====
*{{style color:#003366 SU-06:}}Reduce the proportion of adolescents who used marijuana in the past month[[br]] '''U.S. Target:''' 5.8 percent[[br]]
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====Healthy People Objective SU-09:====
Reduce the proportion of people under 21 years who engaged in binge drinking in the past month[[br]]
'''U.S. Target:''' 8.4 percent[[br]]
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Healthy People 2030 Drug and Alcohol Use goals: [https://health.gov/healthypeople/objectives-and-data/browse-objectives/drug-and-alcohol-use]How Are We Doing?
Alcohol (6.4%) and marijuana (4.2%) were the most commonly abused substances among adolescents in grades 9-12 in Utah, 2023 from the Youth Risk Behavior (YRBS) survey. SHARP data showed a rate of current alcohol use of 4.3% and a rate of current marijuana use of 5.6% statewide in 2023 in grades 8, 10, and 12.
In 2023, Salt Lake County (6.1%) and Summit County (18.4%) local health districts (LHDs) had significantly higher rates of current alcohol use than the state while Bear River (2.2%), Utah County (2.2%), and Davis County (2.2%) LHDs had lower rates.
Also in 2023, Salt Lake County (8.2%) and Summit County (11.1%) LHDs had a significantly higher rate of current marijuana use than the state while Bear River (3.0%), Central (2.1%), Davis County (3.1%), and Utah County (3.0%) LHDs had lower rates.How Do We Compare With the U.S.?
Utah's reported use among high school students for current alcohol consumption in 2023 (6.4%) was lower than the U.S. rate (22.1%). Utah's 2023 rate of reported use of marijuana in the past 30 days (4.2%) was also significantly lower than the U.S. rate (17.0%).
Utah had the lowest reported rate of high school binge drinking (1.0%) among all 29 reporting states in 2023. Montana and Vermont had the highest rates (13.4%). The national rate was 8.8% in 2023.What Is Being Done?
The Substance Use Disorder Prevention Program at the Utah Department of Health and Human Services provides funding to Local Substance Abuse Authorities (LSAA) across the state to deliver locally developed prevention plans. These LSAAs work with community prevention coalitions to reduce risk factors and increase protective factors proven to lower substance misuse.
Community coalitions, through a strategic planning process, mobilize community stakeholders, key leaders, and other partners to implement a wide range of evidence-based strategies. These strategies range from child and youth school-based programming, to parenting workshops, to policy work that reduces access and availability of substances for youth.
Substance misuse prevention coalitions work. According to the coalition framework, Communities that Care, communities with coalitions had youth that were 37% less likely to binge drink compared to communities that did not have a coalition.^1^[[br]]
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1. Hawkins JD, Oesterle S, Brown EC, et al. Results of a Type 2 Translational Research Trial to Prevent Adolescent Drug Use and Delinquency: A Test of Communities that Care. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2009; 163(9):789-798. doi:10.1001/archpediatrics.2009.141Health Program Information
The Utah Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Substance Use and Mental Health (OSUMH) is charged with providing drug and alcohol misuse prevention activities in Utah. Information on the OSUMH may be found on their website: [https://sumh.utah.gov/]. The OSUMH administrative office may be reached at (801) 538-3939.
