Study Finds 20% of High Schoolers Abused Prescription Medications
Every other year since 1990, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) publishes data on youth associated risk behavior by monitoring six categories of behavior. The survey, officially entitled “Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance – U.S. 2009” (YRBS) includes grade 9-12 public and private students enrolled from October 2008 to February 2010. The data was collected from 47 states, 4 territories, 2 tribal areas and 23 local surveys.
In addition to monitoring risky behaviors, the survey also collects information on rates of obesity and asthma. The 6 behavioral categories monitored are:
- behaviors that lead to unintentional injuries and violence
- tobacco use
- alcohol and other drug use
- sexual behaviors that contribute to unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) including HIV
- physical inactivity and
- unhealthy dietary behaviors.
The report is quite lengthy and breaks out the data by ethnicity, state, gender, age, year level etc and although there is much to be concerned about what caught my eye when I first read the report was the question that asked if the student had ever taken any prescription drug medication (such as OxyContin, Percocet, Vicodin, Adderall, Ritalin or Xanax) that was not prescribed to him or her. An astonishing 1 out of 5 students had. (In reviewing the statistics again, I might have picked any other behavior to draw attention to in this article.)
White males and females topped the list for illicit prescription drug use (22.8% and 23.3% respectively) and it occurred in 1 out of 4 students in grade 12.
Scan the list below for the different subcategories covered in the report. The percentages cited below represent the national rate. The link to any of the subcategories can be accessed here for a more comprehensive breakdown by gender, ethnicity, age etc.
Behaviors that Contribute to Unintentional Injuries
- Rarely or Never Wore a Seat Belt (9.7%)
- Rarely or Never Wore a Bicycle Helmet (69.5%)
- Rarely or Never Wore a Motorcycle Helmet (26.1%)
- Rode with a Driver Who Had Been Drinking Alcohol (28.3%)
- Drove When Drinking Alcohol (9.7%)
- Behaviors that Contribute to Violence
- Carried a Weapon (17.5%
- Carried a Gun (5.9%)
- In a Physical Fight (31.5%)
- Injured in a Physical Fight (3.8%)
- Dating Violence (9.8%)
- Forced to Have Sexual Intercourse (7.4%)
- Carried a Weapon on School Property (5.6%)
- Threatened or Injured with a Weapon on School Property (7.7%)
- In a Physical Fight on School Property (11.1%)
- Bullied on School Property (19.9%)
- Did Not Go to School Because of Safety Concerns (5.0%)
- Felt Sad or Hopeless (26.1%)
- Seriously Considered Attempting Suicide (13.8%)
- Made a Suicide Plan (10.9%)
- Attempted Suicide (6.3%)
- Suicide Attempt Treated by a Doctor or Nurse (1.9%)
Tobacco Use
- Ever Smoked Cigarettes (46.3%)
- Ever Smoked Cigarettes Daily (11.2%)
- Current Cigarette Use (19.5%)
- Current Frequent Cigarette Use (7.3%)
- Smoked More than 10 Cigarettes per Day (19.5%)
- Tried to Quit Smoking Cigarettes (19.5%)
- Bought Cigarettes in a Store or Gas Station (15.7%)
- Current Smokeless Tobacco Use (8.9%)
- Current Cigar Use (14.0%)
- Current Tobacco Use (26.0%
Alcohol and Other Drug Use
- Ever Drank Alcohol (72.5%)
- Current Alcohol Use (41.8%)
- Binge Drinking (24.2%)
- Someone Gave Alcohol to Them (41.8%)
- Ever Used Marijuana (36.8%)
- Current Marijuana Use (20.8%)
- Ever Used Cocaine (6.4%)
- Current Cocaine Use (2.8%)
- Ever Used Inhalants (11.7%)
- Ever Used Ecstasy (6.7%)
- Ever Used Heroin (2.5%)
- Ever Used Methamphetamines (4.1%)
- Ever Took Steroids Without a Doctor’s Prescription (3.3%)
- Ever Injected Any Illegal Drug (2.1%)
- Ever Used Hallucinogenic Drugs (8.0%)
- Ever Took Prescription Drugs Without a Doctor’s Prescription (20.2%)
Age of Initiation of Risk Behaviors
- Smoked a Whole Cigarette Before Age 13 Years (10.7%)
- Drank Alcohol Before Age 13 Years (21.1%)
- Tried Marijuana Before Age 13 Years (7.5%)
- Tobacco, Alcohol, and Other Drug Use on School Property
- Smoked Cigarettes on School Property (5.1%)
- Used Smokeless Tobacco on School Property (5.5%)
- Drank Alcohol on School Property (4.5%)
- Used Marijuana on School Property (4.6%)
- Offered, Sold, or Given an Illegal Drug on School Property (22.7%)
Sexual Behaviors that Contribute to Unintended Pregnancy and Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Including HIV Infection
- Ever Had Sexual Intercourse (46.0%)
- Had First Sexual Intercourse Before Age 13 Years (5.9%)
- Had Sexual Intercourse with Four or More Persons During Their Life (13.8%)
- Currently Sexually Active (34.2%)
- Condom Use (of the 34.2% currently sexually active, 61.1% used condoms)
- Birth Control Pill Use (of 34.2% currently sexually active students, 19.8% used birth control pills)
- Depo-Provera Use (as above, 3.1%)
- Birth Control Pill Use or Depo-Provera Use (as above, 22.9%)
- Condom Use and Birth Control Pill Use or Depo-Provera Use (34.2%)
- Drank Alcohol or Used Drugs Before Last Sexual Intercourse (of 34.2% sexually active students, 21.6% drank or used drugs beforehand)
- Tested for HIV (12.7%)
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