Spokane Counts 2011 - Illicit Drug Use (Youth)

Illicit Drug Use (Youth)

Health Behavior

Indicator: Illicit Drug Use (Youth)

Definition: Percent of youth in grades 6, 8, 10, and 12 who have used any illicit drug one or more times in the last 30 days.

Why is this important: Drug use among youth may be physically harmful and may lead to other dangerous or unhealthy behaviors.

Where are we: In 2010 in Spokane County, 16% of adolescents reported using an illicit drug in the last month. From 2006 to 2010, there was a significant decrease in the proportion of adolescents using illicit drugs. The proportion of Spokane County youth using illicit drugs was higher than that of Washington State in 2010.

Health Disparities:

Among youth in Spokane County in 2010:

Illicit drug use increased as age increased.
Males were more likely to use drugs than females.
Compared to Whites, Blacks and Native American/Alaska Natives were more likely to use drugs.
Asian/Pacific Islanders were less likely to use drugs.
Drug use decreased as maternal education level increased.

Additional Information: The illicit drug with the highest proportion of youth using it in the last 30 days was marijuana.

Illicit drug use in the last 30 days, Spokane County, 2010

	6th grade	8th grade	10th grade	12th grade	Total
Marijuana	1.9%	9.3%	21.5%	25.1%	13.8%
Pain Killers	Not asked	4.4%	10.0%	11.6%	8.2%
Inhalants	Not asked	6.3%	6.9%	5.5%	6.3%

(click to enlarge)

	Data Source	HYS, 2010 (grade 6,8,10,12)

Geography	Spokane County	15.7% (15.0-16.4)
	WA	13.9% (13.6-14.2)
	U.S.	Not Avail

	Trend	06-10 Decrease

Age	Youth
	6th grade	2.6% (1.9-3.6)
	8th grade	12.1% (11.1-13.3)
	10th grade	23.0% (21.3-24.7)
	12th grade	29.0% (27.0-30.9)

Sex	Male	16.5% (15.5-17.6)
	Female	15.0% (14.0-16.0)

Race	White	15.4% (14.6-16.3)
	Black	25.9% (21.0-31.5)
	NAAN	20.0% (16.0-24.7)
	API	11.3% (8.5-14.8)
	Other	15.8% (13.7-18.1)

Education*	< High school	33.0% (29.4-36.9)
	High school	23.4% (21.3-25.7)
	Some college	19.6% (17.8-21.5)
	College graduate	16.0% (14.6-17.5)

* Education reflects the mother's highest education level

Data Source: Health Youth Survey. Washington State Department of Health. Calculations and presentation of data by Spokane Regional Health District, Community Health Assessment.

Spokane Regional Health District · Community Health Assessment · 1101 W College Ave, Room 360, Spokane, WA 99201
509.323.2853 | FAX 509.232.1706 | TDD 509.324.1464 · www.srhd.org/spokanecounts