Substance Use Prevalence Among Indiana Youth
IN the Know — Data Brief
Substance use among youth can pose dangerous and permanent consequences. Youth who engage in substance use are more likely to develop substance use disorder as adults than those youth who did not use substances. Youth who consume alcohol, whether in moderate or excessive amounts, are at greater risk of school problems, injuries, vehicular accidents, legal problems, unprotected sexual activity, alcohol poisoning, and homicide or suicide. Tobacco use at an early age can also have long-lasting effects as the child matures. The combination of addictive nicotine with the developing adolescent brain can create greater dependency on nicotine and alter the formation of neural circuits in the brain. The risk of youth engaging substance use can be lessened by increasing protective factors such as family engagement, positive peer influence, school connectedness, and community engagement. Adversely, the risk of substance use increases in the presence of risk factors – family history of substance use, poor monitoring, association with substance-using peers, and community attitudes favorable towards substance use.
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