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ALCOHOL
TOBACCO/Vaping
TOBACCO/Vaping
2019 Steele County: 90 percent of 8th graders, 86 percent of 9th graders and 75 percent of 11th graders indicated they had not consumed alcohol in the past 30 days
2019 MN State Average: 92 percent of 8th graders, 88 percent of 9th graders and 77 percent of 11th graders had not consumed alcohol in the past 30 days
The trend: Statewide, about six of seven (87 percent) of students in grades 8, 9 and 11 reported not drinking an alcoholic beverage on at least one day during the 30 days before the survey while in Steele County we are slightly better than the state average at (84%)
TOBACCO/Vaping
TOBACCO/Vaping
TOBACCO/Vaping
2019 Steele County: Vaping / e-cigarette use, 83 percent of 8th graders, 82 percent of 9th graders and 72 percent of 11th graders reported not smoking cigarettes in the past 30 days
2019 MN State Average: Vaping / e-cigarette use 11 percent of 8th graders, 84 percent of 9th graders and 74 percent of 11th graders reported not smoking cigarettes in the past 30 days
The trend: Vaping is in the news weekly as it’s an evolving topic on the ways it’s causing harm to users. Through prevention education and reducing access to these products, we hope to combat the vaping epidemic. Conventional cigarette use, which had been declining for decades is unfortunately on the rise as nicotine addiction has been introduced to a new generation of young people.
MARIJUANA
TOBACCO/Vaping
PRESCRIPTION Medications
2019 Steele County: 90 percent of students in grades 8, 9 and 11 have not used marijuana in the past 30 days.
2019 MN State Average: 91.5 percent of students in grades 8, 9 and 11 have not used marijuana in the past 30 days.
The trend: The prevalence of marijuana use in the past 30 days is on the rise both at a local and state level with a low perception of harm and misleading information associated with the risk, especially surround products with high concentration levels of THC.
PRESCRIPTION Medications
PRESCRIPTION Medications
PRESCRIPTION Medications
2019 Steele County: Prescription misuse: 96 percent of students in grades 8, 9 and 11 reported not misusing prescription drugs in the past 30 days.
2019 MN State Average: Prescription misuse 06 percent of students in grades 8, 9 and 11 reported not misusing prescription drugs in the past 30 days.
The trend: Painkillers, depressants and antidepressants are responsible for more overdose deaths in the United States than cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and amphetamines combined. Monitor the prescriptions within your household.
The Adolescent Brain
During these crucial developmental teen years, the brain is more vulnerable to alterations in its’ structure and function, leading to consequences later in life.
Addictive substances physically change the brain over time. When an addiction develops, changes in the brain cause the user to prioritize the substance over everything else. Alcohol, tobacco and other drugs act as stimulants and depressants that either speed you up or slow you down based on the amount with potentially lethal consequences.
Talk with young people early, often and openly about the risks of underage alcohol use, tobacco and other drugs. Together, we can help young people understand that they do not need substances to have fun, fit in or function through life’s challenges.