Alcohol, tobacco and other drug (ATOD) misuse refers to the excessive use of these substances in a manner that is harmful to health and well-being. ATOD misuse has been and continues to be a top priority area across Meeker, McLeod and Sibley Counties.
Alcohol
Alcohol is the most widely used drug in Minnesota. Excessive alcohol consumption contributes to a number of negative consequences, including unintentional injuries, violent acts, chronic diseases and unintended or unhealthy pregnancies.
Alcohol use rates are high in MMS when compared to Minnesota overall, survey data suggests they are declining. Between 2014 and 2018, the percent of those who reported binge drinking changed from 30.7% in 2014 to 28.3% in 2018 (this change was significant at a 90% level of confidence but not at 95%, p=.08). Furthermore, the percent of MMS adults who reported having at least one drink in the past 30 days decreased significantly by 3.0%.
Cannabis
Cannabis use in adolescence or early adulthood can have a serious impact on a teen’s life including decline in school performance, increased risk of mental health issues, impaired driving and potential for addiction. Community stakeholders have been anecdotally hearing and sharing with public staff that recreational marijuana use is an increasing problem in our area.
Opioids
More information coming soon.
Tobacco Use
Use: Smoking rates have improved in recent years for both adults and youth. Between 2014 and 2018 the percent of current smokers among adults decreased by over three percent and remains lower than the overall rate for Minnesota adults, which was 15.1% in 2018 compared to 11.2% in MMS. Likewise, any use of tobacco products (including cigarettes, cigars, pipes, chewing tobacco and e-cigarettes) among adults decreased by 7.0% from 2014 to 2018. Similarly, among Sibley County students, the percent of 8th, 9th and 11th graders who reported past 30-day cigarette use dropped from 11.8% in 2016 to 9.8% in 2019.
Exposure: Secondhand smoke causes early death and disease in both children and adults who do not smoke. It increases risk for heart attacks, heart disease and stroke, and lung cancer. To reduce the exposure of second hand smoke MMS Healthy Communities has been working with multi-unit housing owners and property managers to implement smoke-free policies since the beginning of SHIP. Additionally, there is a national movement towards smoke-free housing including that the U.S. Office of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) required all Public Housing Agencies to have a smoke-free policy in place by July 31, 2018. Therefore, it is notable that between 2014 and 2018, there was a large reduction (34.3%) in the percent of renters in apartments and multi-family buildings reporting anyone smoking in the apartments in their building.
Resources
More information coming soon.
