Youth Substance Abuse
in the Panhandle
74%
of Panhandle high-schoolers have tried
alcohol by the time they graduate.
1 in 5
6th graders report alcohol use.
Is my kid drinking?
1 in 4
Panhandle 10th graders report drinking in the
last 30 days– more than the state average.
1 in 2
Panhandle students said that it is
“easy” or “very easy” to get alcohol.
24%
of Panhandle high school seniors reported
binge drinking in the last month.
40%
The chance that someone will
struggle with alcoholism or alcohol
dependence if he or she starts drinking
by age 15 according to the U.S.
Department of Health and
Human Services, 2012.
www.PanhandlePreventionCoalition.org
What if my kid is drinking?
14%
of Panhandle A-students
reported alcohol use in
the last 30 days and...
18.4%
25.5%
29%
of B-students.
of C-students.
www.PanhandlePreventionCoalition.org
of D-students.
97% of Panhandle students reported that their parents believe
drinking and driving is wrong.
Talk to your children about drinking and driving – they know
it’s wrong – but keep talking to them about the risk and
consequences of drinking and driving.
It really works.
There is a strong relationship between drinking and grades
in school. Students that reported drinking, binge drinking,
and drinking and driving, earned significantly worse grades.
Drinking can slow academic growth and result in higher dropout rates in high school.
Talk to your kid about drinking, even if your kid is a “good kid.”
12%
of Panhandle high school
seniors report drinking and
driving in the last 30 days.
1 in 4
Panhandle students grades
10th - 12th have ridden in a car with
a drinking driver in the last month.
13%
of all alcohol-related crashes are
accounted to teenagers, who make up
7.3% of all drivers (2011 Neb. Teen Driver
Facts, Neb. Office of Highway Safety).
Consequences.
1st offense
• 30-day drivers license suspension under Nebraska’s “Use and Lose” law
• Attend an alcohol education class
• Fine –up to $500
No one under the age of 21 may possess, consume or have physical
control of alcohol (Nebraska State Statue 53-180.02).
2nd offense
• Three month drivers license suspension
• Attend an alcohol education class
• 20 to 40 hours of community service
Change happens when you understand the law: Nebraska law
is clear - underage drinking is illegal.
Change happens when you know the consequences:
Nebraska state laws allows judges the following penalty options for
minors convicted of minor in possession (MIP) and minor having
consumed (MHC).
Convicted teens may be subjected to any or all of the following:
3rd+ offense
• One year drivers license suspension
• Attend an alcohol education class
• 60 or more hours of community service
• Alcohol assessment by a licensed drug & alcohol counselor
Do Panhandle kids do drugs?
15.6%
of Panhandle 12th-Graders
report abusing prescription
drugs in their life-- more
than the state average.
Sources of Alcohol
Panhandle students report getting alcohol at a party;
giving someone money to buy alcohol for them; getting
it from parents/relatives; or taking alcohol without
permission.
Where do students drink?
Most commonly, Panhandle students report drinking at
home without permission; at a friend’s home without
permission; in an open area; or in a car.
27% of Panhandle 8th - 12th graders report drinking in
a car in the last 30 days.
20% of Panhandle 12th graders report drinking at
home with parents permission in the last 30 days.
It is very important that parents talk to their children about
prescription drugs – they are addictive and harmful to young
people especially when abused. Parents must remember to
securely store all prescriptions in the home.
Illegal Drugs
16.2%
of Panhandle seniors report using
marijuana in their lifetime.
33%
of Panhandle students do not believe
that there is a great risk of harm in
smoking marijuana on a regular basis.
8%
of Panhandle 8th graders report use
of inhalants in their lifetime.
That’s more than the state average.
2%
of Panhandle high school
seniors have used meth.
That’s more than the state average.
www.PanhandlePreventionCoalition.org
What do we do?
The Panhandle Prevention Coalition (PPC)
is a part of the Panhandle Partnership
for Health and Human Services. We are
comprised of local community coalitions
and a regional coalition united together
by our passion and dedication to healthy
and safe people across the lifespan.
Our efforts include, but are not limited
to, reducing underage drinking, binge
drinking, drinking and driving, tobacco
prevention and prescription drug abuse in the Nebraska Panhandle. The
PPC mobilizes grassroots policy change, enforcement and education with
many tools and through many venues including mass media. The PPC raises
awareness of current social norms and trends while seeking to change social
context and individual behaviors around substance abuse.
Our community partners include concerned parents, public health,
health care workers, law enforcement, social service professionals, community
leaders, elected officials, educators, business owners, volunteers and citizens
both locally and statewide who seek safe communities for our children and
families to live and grow. We work collaboratively with many partners to open
discussions, educate, initiate policy change and mobilize resources. Our most
recent achievements include:
What are our 2013 goals?
1.Continue grassroots policy work to address underage drinking, binge
drinking, drinking and driving, tobacco use, and prescription drug abuse.
2.Strengthen K-12 & post-secondary school policies.
3.Strengthen enforcement of alcohol laws.
Here’s a snapshot of what’s
going on in our community:
• Implementation of a local and state wide media campaign Be Strong– Be
The Influence.
• Participation across the Panhandle in the National Drug Take Back held
twice annually.
• Annual Responsible Alcohol Merchant/s Award (RAMA), recognizing
alcohol merchants actively involved in promoting a positive, healthy
community by restricting youth access to alcohol.
Here’s what
you can do:
• Talk early and often to your kids about not using tobacco, alcohol, and
other drugs. Create clear expectations.
• Always enforce the minimum drinking age of 21.
• Call law enforcement if you suspect underage parties or drinking and
driving at any age at1-888-MUST-BE-21.
• Thank law enforcement for providing compliance checks and responsible
alcohol and tobacco training.
• Supported the Use and Lose legislation passed into Nebraska law in 2010.
• Involve youth in planning and implementing healthy activities.
• 340 retail alcohol compliance checks since September 2009.
• Contact us if you know of any alcohol merchants you’d like to see recognized
for their prevention work.
• 14 responsible beverage server training classes with over 600 participants
and an average 47 percent increase between pre and post-tests scores.
• Twenty six sobriety check points since September 2009 resulting in 965
stops, 312 citations, 48 drug and alcohol related citations and 71 other
arrests.
• Keep track of what medications you have at home. Limit access to these
drugs and keep your home safe by properly disposing of old and unused
medicines at the Prescriptions Drug Take Back.
Where did this data come from?
This data is based on the Nebraska Risk and Protective Factor Student Survey
Contact Us:
coordinated by the Nebraska Department of Education and the Nebraska
Phone: 308-633-2072
Department of Health and Human Services. Beginning in the fall of 2010 the
Email: [email protected]
Bureau of Sociological Research at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln managed
[email protected]
the collection and analysis of the data. The survey is administered to 6th, 8th, 10th,
Website: http://panhandlepreventioncoalition.org/
and 12th graders in the Panhandle and statewide. The survey is being administered
facebook.com/panhandlepreventioncoalition
again Fall 2012. All data is anonymous.
@ItBeginsWithYou