b'GREATER MONADNOCK COMMUNITY HEALTH IMPROVEMENT PLAN 2015-2018 PRIORITY AREA 3: SUBSTANCE & ALCOHOL MISUSE Alcohol and substance use in the Monadnock Region poses problems for individuals of all ages.In a comparison of alcohol use in Cheshire AlcoholandotherdrugmisuseposeoneofthegreatestriskstoCounty to the state and national data, we rate highest in regular use, individualandcommunityhealthandsafety.Substancemisusehasbingedrinking,andheavyuse.Amonghighschoolagedstudents both short- and long-term health and safety consequences, many ofsurveyed as part of the Youth Risk Behavioral Factor Survey, 58% either whichareassociatedwithsignificantpersonalandsocietalcosts. approve or strongly approve of someone their age having one or two According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), indrinksofalcoholnearlyeveryday;8%reportedusingprescription 2010 an estimated 22.6 million Americans aged 12 or older used illicitdrugs such as OxyContin, Percocet, Vicodin, Adderall, Ritalin, or Xanax drugs in the past month and over 131 million people reported beingwithout a doctors prescription in their lifetime; 16% think it would be current drinkers of alcohol. 15 Comparison of Substance Use Rates by NH Public Health Regions in 2013 Incomparisontonationalfigures,NHssubstanceabuseratesare statistically higher for a number of population groups.Among youth aged 12-17 and young adults aged 18-25, New Hampshires rates of bingedrinkingaresignificantlyhigherthantheUnitedStates. 16 In addition,NewHampshires12to17year-oldsareone-and-one-half timesmorelikelythanthosenationwidetosmokemarijuana.This amounts to one in four NH high school aged children who engage in regular binge drinking and regular marijuana smoking. 17 The rate of young adult drinking (18 to 25 year olds) in NH is the highest in the country and young adults in NH have higher rates of use of illicit drugs other than marijuana and higher rates of non-medical use of painkillers compared to peers nationally. 15 SAMHSA. (2011). Results from the 2010 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: SummarySource: National Youth Risk Behavior Survey veryeasyforthemtogetaprescriptiondrugwithoutadoctors of National Findings. pp 1-6. Retrieved from: http://www.samhsa.gov/data/NSDUH/2k10NSDUH/2k10Results.pdf prescription if they wanted. 16 SAMHSA. (2010). Results from the 2009 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Volume I.Summary of National Findings. p 3.Retrieved from: http://oas.samhsa.gov/NSDUH/2k9NSDUH/2k9ResultsP.pdf Olderadults(age65+)makeuponly13%ofthepopulation,and 17 NH DOE. (2011) NH Youth Risk Behavior Survey Results pp 76, 91. Retrieved from:accountforonethirdoftotaloutpatientspendingonprescription drugs.Non-medicinal use of prescription drugs is estimated to increase http://www.education.nh.gov/instruction/school_health/documents/2011nhyrbsdetailtables.pdf to 2.7 million by older adults by the year 2020.31'