Substance Abuse: Understanding the Problem
Understanding the Problem
Substance use has far-reaching negative impacts. The misuse of substances obviously causes harm to the individuals using them, but it also causes harm to the communities in which they live.
Impact of Alcohol
Alcohol has a greater impact on youth than it does on adults because children and young adults have brains that are still developing.
Impairment |
Results |
Prefrontal cortex |
Poor planning, organizing, time management, attention, and judgment |
Stress response system |
Suppresses normal hormonal response |
Medulla |
Breathing impairment |
Cerebellum |
Slow reaction time, impaired motor functions |
Hippocampus |
Memory loss and learning impairment |
Those who drink as youth are more likely to participate in stress-induced drinking in adulthood. The chances of becoming an alcoholic are much higher for someone who drinks before age 15 (40%) than for someone who waits until age 21 (7%). 1
National Stats on Alcohol
Nationally, alcohol is responsible for a wide range of risky behaviors and is used by a high number of adolescents. While the use of alcohol among youth has been dropping over time, there is still a significant portion of the youth population using alcohol.
Alcohol and other drug use is one of the six health-related behaviors monitored in the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) because it contributes to the leading causes of death and disability among youth and adults.
- Around 50% of the U.S. population aged 12 years and older uses alcohol.
- Around 24% of the population reports binge drinking (five or more drinks for men; four or more drinks for women)
- Around 6% of the population reports heavy alcohol use (binge drinking five or more days in the past month)
The most recent data (2016) reveals these usage percentages from a survey of 12th, 10th, and 8th graders:
- 12th graders- 33.2% (down from 72% in 1980)
- 10th graders- 19.9% (down from 41% in 2000)
- 8th graders 7.3% (down from 22.4% in 2000)
- White youth are more likely to use alcohol and binge drink than black students.2,3
Local Stats on Alcohol
In North Carolina, surveys show that alcohol use is relatively common among school-aged youth.
- 16% drink at least once a week
- 54% of high school students drink at least once a month
- 16% of middle school students drink at least once a month4
Impact of Prescription Drug Misuse
The misuse of prescription drugs has frequently been called an epidemic because of the detrimental impact it is having on communities. To understand the impact of prescription drug misuse, one has to consider who uses the drugs and the wide range of motivations behind that use.
There are three main classes of drugs that are misused.
Drug Type |
Illicit Uses and Effects |
Street Names |
Opioids (such as Vicodin, OxyContin, Percocet, and Codeine) |
Pain relief, poor coordination, drowsiness, nausea, constipation, euphoria, confusion, slowed breathing or heart rate, increased risk of infectious disease through injection, death |
Vikes, Lean, Stop Signs, Percs |
Sedatives (such as Valium, Xanax, Ambien, Lunesta, and Ativan) |
Drowsiness, slurred speech, poor concentration, confusion, dizziness, memory problems, movement problems, low blood pressure, slowed breathing and heart rate, increased risk of infectious disease through injection, increased risk of sexual assault |
Barbs, Reds, Downers, Tranks |
Stimulants (such as Dexedrine, Adderall, Ritalin, and Concerta) |
Increased alertness, attention, or energy; increased blood pressure or heart rate; narrowed blood vessels; insomnia; reduced appetite; increased blood sugar; heart problems; psychosis; anger or paranoia; increased risk of infectious disease through injection |
Skippy, Vitamin R, Bennies, Speed |
The most common motivators for prescription drug misuse include the following5:
- Wanting to fit in with peers
- Feeling good or getting high
- Relieving depression and anxiety
- Helping to cope with stress
- Sleeping better
- Increasing alertness or concentration
- Addiction to their own initial pain prescription
National Stats on Prescription Drug Misuse5, 6
- 53% of people who misuse prescription drugs get them from family and friends
- Only 5% of children who misuse prescription drugs say they get them from a stranger, drug dealer, or the internet. Most get them from someone they know.
- In 2017, 14% of high school students had used prescription pain medication without a prescription or differently than prescribed.
- Overall usage numbers were statistically constant regardless of sex or race.
Local Stats on Prescription Drug Misuse5, 8
- Overdose is the second-leading cause of unintentional injury death in NC.
- Approximately 80% of the 1000 overdose deaths in NC in 2014 were from prescription drugs, mostly painkillers.
- For every overdose death, there are 9.2 hospitalizations and 16.8 ER admissions.
- Unintentional poisoning deaths rose 391% in NC from 1999 to 2015: o 93% were caused by drugs (Rx, OTC, or illegal)
- Opioids analgesics, cocaine, and heroin are the leading cause (47% of deaths)
- Opioid analgesic use is on the rise and make up more deaths than cocaine and heroin combined
- Males (63.5%) die in greater numbers than females(36.5%)
- White (15.8 rate, 83.6% of deaths) and American Indians (12.0 rate, 1.5% of deaths) have the highest rates of death