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Thursday, March 6, 2008

State Estimates of Substance Use from the 2005-2006 National Surveys on Drug Use and Health.

This report presents State estimates for 23 measures of substance use or mental health problems based on the 2005 and 2006 National Surveys on Drug Use and Health (NSDUHs).

Alcohol Use

  • In 2005-2006, the rate of past month alcohol use in States among all persons aged 12 or older ranged from a low of 32.4 percent in Utah to a high of 63.1 percent in Wisconsin. Six States showed significant increases from 2004-2005 to 2005-2006 in the percentage of all persons aged 12 or older who used alcohol in the past month: Arkansas (39.6 to 42.6 percent), Maine (51.5 to 54.8 percent), Michigan (54.2 to 56.2 percent), Nevada (48.2 to 52.0 percent), Utah (30.1 to 32.4), and Wyoming (53.0 to 56.4 percent). (Tables B.9 and C.9)
  • The rate of binge alcohol use among youths aged 12 to 17 decreased from 10.5 percent in 2004-2005 to 10.1 percent in 2005-2006; however, the rates among young adults aged 18 to 25 and persons aged 26 or older did not change. The highest rates of binge use of alcohol occurred among persons aged 18 to 25. North Dakota (56.5 percent) had the highest rate in this age group, about twice the highest rate among persons aged 26 or older (Wisconsin at 27.4 percent) and almost 4 times the highest rate among youths aged 12 to 17 (Montana at 15.3 percent). (Tables B.10 and C.10)
  • Between 2004-2005 and 2005-2006, there was an increase in perception of the risk of binge drinking from 41.2 to 41.7 percent among persons aged 12 or older. In this age group, Wisconsin had the lowest percentage (32.9 percent) perceiving a great risk of drinking five or more drinks of alcohol on a single occasion, while New Mexico had the highest rate at 47.6 percent. Seven of the ten States (Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, and Wisconsin) with the highest rates of binge use of alcohol in 2005-2006 among persons 12 or older also were States with the lowest perceived risk of binge drinking for the population aged 12 or older. (Tables B.11 and C.11, Figures 3.5 and 3.9)
  • Past month use of alcohol among persons aged 12 to 20 (underage use of alcohol) ranged from a low of 21.5 percent in Utah to a high of 38.3 percent in Vermont. Georgia (15.2 percent) had the lowest rate for past month underage (aged 12 to 20) binge use of alcohol, and North Dakota had the highest rate for this measure, 28.5 percent. There was no significant change at the national level in underage alcohol or binge alcohol use between 2004-2005 and 2005-2006; however, there were significant changes among several States. Arkansas and Vermont had increases in both underage alcohol use and underage binge alcohol use between 2004-2005 and 2005-2006. South Dakota's and Wisconsin's rates decreased for both measures over the same time period. (Tables B.12 and C.12)
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