Substance Abuse

• After alcohol, marijuana is the next most commonly used drug by Chautauqua County youth
• By 12th grade more than half (53.2%) of youth have tried it at least once and more than a third (36.9%) are current users (within the past 30 days)
• Current local use rates exceed national rates for lifetime and past 30 day use in grades 8, 10 and 12 (Chaut. Alcoholism & Substance Abuse Council)
• There were noticeable increases in use from grade to grade with rates more than doubling between grades 7 and 8, and double again from grades 10 to 12
• Students reported that their parents would disapprove of their using marijuana, but more than half 57% do not consider it harmful
• The average age of first marijuana use is 13.7 years
• The perception of risk and harm for marijuana use is considerably lower than both tobacco and alcohol
• Efforts to provide accurate awareness information remain a priority

• Pharmaceuticals are being misused at an increasing rate locally and nationally, with prescription pain killers being most common and often mixed with alcohol (YDS Survey)
• Past 30 day use range from a low of 4.2% in 7th grade to a high of 13% in 11th grade
• Over-the-counter (OTC) cold medicine and caffeine/diet pills and any use of these prescription drugs without a doctor’s order: pain killers, tranquilizers, sedatives and stimulants

• The 30 day use rate for other drugs among county youth is low with Ecstasy and hallucinogens below 1%, and cocaine use at 1.2% (YDS Survey)
• Inhalant use, more common in younger children due to easy access, peaks at 4.7% in 9th grade and drops to less than 1% in 12th grade
  

• Those in the chart are the most common Risk Factors that make up the top four areas of concerns across the districts
• Beliefs, attitudes and behaviors that are favorable towards alcohol and other drug use and abuse have an impact on youth behaviors
• Perception of and actual availability and access to alcohol and other drugs has an impact on youth behaviors
• A focus on the family is imperative and issues within the family domain are predictive of youth problem behaviors
• Having an accurate understanding of the risks of use is important as well as the understanding that perceived and actual prevalence rates influence youth behavior
  
   
• While focusing on the risks, it is equally important to enhance protective factors within the family domain
• Enhancing rewards, or feeling the benefits and recognition, for being involved in positive, healthy activities is a need across the domains
• *Social Skills is not in the top 4, but is the most likely protective factor to be addressed by face-to-face programming ~ whether low and an area of concern or high as strength to build on

Tobacco smoke:

• The NYSDOH Expanded BRFSS 2008-2009 for Chautauqua provides estimates for smoking policies within the homes of County residents
• In 2009, 74.2% of respondents lived in a home where smoking was not allowed

Lead Poisoning:

• The risk of childhood lead poisoning greatly increases when children live in houses containing lead paint
• While lead paint was banned in 1978, it was rarely used in houses built after 1950 - therefore, houses built prior to 1950 are generally considered suspect in cases of childhood lead poisoning
• Housing structures in the County are relatively old with 45.9% built in 1939 or earlier, compared to 34.8% in New York State
• In Chautauqua County, 53.0% of homes were built prior to 1950, compared to 44.1% in New York State
• As a result, many children in the County are considered at risk for lead poisoning

Air Quality:

• Chautauqua County (13.4) is well above the national benchmark (8.8) or the NYS rate (10.9) for Daily Fine Particulate Matter
• This is a concern because those particles generally pass through the throat and nose and enter the lungs
• Once inhaled, these particles can affect the heart and lungs and cause serious health effects