Social Determinants of Health:

Education Access and Quality, Neighborhood and Built Environment, Health Care Access and Quality

According to the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, more than 20 million adults and adolescents in the United States have had a substance use disorder in the past year. Excessive alcohol consumption is associated with numerous health problems. Long-term health risks include liver disease, depression, anxiety, high blood pressure, stroke, heart attack, cancer, and uncontrollable diabetes. Research suggests drinking may be an expression of general adolescent turmoil that includes other behavior problems linked to unconventionality, impulsiveness, and sensation seeking (National Institute on Alcohol Abused Alcoholism). Among all schools surveyed through the Pride Survey (2019-2020), 13.5% of youth used alcohol and 9.4% used marijuana in the past 30 days. The past 30-day use of marijuana increased by 1.4% from 2018 to 2020.