Why do we need alcohol and drug prevention in Maine Township?
As a community, most agree that use of illicit drugs among our teens is unacceptable, dangerous, and illegal. Yet teen alcohol and drug use does exist in Maine Township. MCYAF works to prevent and reduce substance use to keep kids healthy and safe.
| Students who report using in last 30 days |
Actual use rate1 | Perceived |
|---|---|---|
Alcohol |
38% | 90% |
Tobacco |
13% | 82% |
Marijuana |
18% | 77% |
1Source: 2010 Illinois Youth Survey, Maine Township High School District 207
(Number surveyed = 5473)
2Source: 2008 Maine Township High School District 207 Student Use & Perception Survey
(Number surveyed = 4307)
When teens drink, they drink in excess.
Thirty-two percent (32%) of Maine Township 12th grade students who drank in the last month reported binge drinking. Binge drinking is considered 5 or more drinks at one time in two hours.
Source: 2010 Illinois Youth Survey, Maine Township High School District 207
(Number surveyed = 1197)
Underage drinking is linked to injury and risky behavior, such as drinking and driving, sexual activity, and introduction to illicit drug use.
- Alcohol related accidents are the leading cause of death for teens and young adults.
- More than 1 in 5 teens who currently use alcohol also use illicit drugs.
- Teens that drink are 50 times more likely to use cocaine than teens who never consume alcohol.
Brain Development and Alcohol Abuse
- Research indicates that the human brain continues to develop into a person’s early 20’s. Exposing the developing brain to alcohol can result in long-lasting effects on intellectual capabilities (memory loss, judgment and concentration) and increases the likelihood of life-long alcohol abuse issues.
- Youth who start drinking before age 15 are five times (5x’s) more likely to develop alcohol dependence or abuse later in life than those who begin drinking at or after age 21.
Public Health Issue
- Alcohol is the most widely used substance of abuse among America’s youth. Each year, approximately 5,000 people under the age of 21 die as a result of underage drinking.
- In people under 21, alcohol is a leading contributor to “death from injuries”… the main cause of death in that age group.
- About 45% of people who die in car crashes involving a driver who had been drinking under the age of 21 are people other than the driver.
- In March 2007, the Surgeon General released a “Call to Action” to prevent and reduce underage drinking. The call was developed to expand public knowledge about underage drinking and to encourage action by individuals and organizations nationwide.
- Underage drinking is a public health and safety problem that results in serious personal, social, and economic consequences for adolescents, their families, communities, and the nation as a whole.
