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sUBSTANCE usE
sUBSTANCE usE
Adolescent substance use remains a problem in Utah County.
Substance use is particularly risky during adolescence. The brain doesn't fully mature until about age 24, and drugs can keep the brain from developing normally.1 This causes problems with attention, learning, and impulse control.2 Use in adolescents may also lead to lifelong addiction. For example, 9 out of 10 smokers try their first cigarette before age 18.3
Youth use rates for many substances are lower in Utah County than compared to the state of Utah.4 However, this does not mean that it is not a problem in our county.
The Student Health and Risk Prevention (SHARP) Survey found that about 4 in 20 Utah County 12th graders had used alcohol and nearly 3 in 20 had used marijuana.4 Vaping rates were higher, with 9.1% of sixth graders and 19.6% of 12th graders reporting use.4
Sources
1. Duke University. (2020). Content: Brain maturation is complete at about 24 years of age. The Alcohol Pharmacology Education Partnership. https://sites.duke.edu/apep/module-3-alcohol-cell-suicide-and-the-adolescent-brain/content-brain-maturation-is-complete-at-about-24-years-of-age/2. National Institutes of Health. (2020). Vaping devices (electronic cigarettes) drug fact.https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/vaping-devices-electronic-cigarettes3. US Department of Health and Human Services. (2019). Tobacco use in adolescence. https://www.hhs.gov/ash/oah/adolescent-development/substance-use/drugs/tobacco/index.html4. Utah Department of Human Services. (2019). 2019 SHARP prevention needs assessment survey: Results for Utah County LSAA. https://dsamh.utah.gov/pdf/sharp/2019/Utah%20County.pdf
1. Duke University. (2020). Content: Brain maturation is complete at about 24 years of age. The Alcohol Pharmacology Education Partnership. https://sites.duke.edu/apep/module-3-alcohol-cell-suicide-and-the-adolescent-brain/content-brain-maturation-is-complete-at-about-24-years-of-age/2. National Institutes of Health. (2020). Vaping devices (electronic cigarettes) drug fact.https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/vaping-devices-electronic-cigarettes3. US Department of Health and Human Services. (2019). Tobacco use in adolescence. https://www.hhs.gov/ash/oah/adolescent-development/substance-use/drugs/tobacco/index.html4. Utah Department of Human Services. (2019). 2019 SHARP prevention needs assessment survey: Results for Utah County LSAA. https://dsamh.utah.gov/pdf/sharp/2019/Utah%20County.pdf
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