The use of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco among Arkansas adolescents has been declining since 2015 while the use of electronic vaping products by the same group has been steadily increasing, according to a report by the Arkansas State Epidemiological Outcomes Workgroup (SEOW).
The SEOW’s 2020 Annual Profile of Substance Abuse also showed that alcohol and marijuana use among the state’s adolescents is on the decline. Unfortunately, more Arkansas students misused prescription drugs relative to the national average, with Arkansas high school students reporting higher rates of lifetime prescription opioid use compared to the rest of the country.
Injection drug use is nearly three times higher among Arkansas high school students compared to all U.S. students, the SEOW report found. While the prevalence among U.S. students has remained stable over time, the proportion of Arkansas students reporting injection drug use jumped in 2019 from 3.7 percent to 5.7 percent.
“These findings suggest that prevention programs may be effective in reducing cigarette, smokeless tobacco use, alcohol and prescription opioid use among adolescents,” said Alison Oliveto, PhD, director of the SEOW. “However, ongoing prevention efforts are needed to sustain these downward trends as well as reduce electronic vaping product and injection drug use.”
Meanwhile, the SEOW report also reported that rates of current cigarette, smokeless tobacco, and alcohol use among Arkansas adults are higher than national rates, although adult alcohol use has decreased slightly. Since 2008–2009, the number of adults who use marijuana has increased both nationally and statewide, although fewer Arkansas adults have used marijuana in the past year compared with the national average. The rate of cocaine use among adults in Arkansas is lower and methamphetamine use higher than that for U.S. adults. Cocaine and methamphetamine use is most prevalent among Arkansans aged 18-25.
According to Oliveto, these findings indicate that prevention efforts targeting tobacco product, alcohol, and methamphetamine use are needed and that marijuana use needs to be closely monitored given the recent medical marijuana law enactments.
UAMS researchers compiled socio-demographics, substance use outcomes and health-related risk and protective factors and outcomes data from the Arkansas Department of Human Services’ Arkansas Prevention Needs Assessment Survey and various other publicly available databases for this report.
The State Epidemiological Outcomes Workgroup (SEOW) is a group of data experts and prevention stakeholders responsible for gathering, analyzing, and disseminating data on substance use and related behavioral problems in order to guide prevention planning processes. It serves as a forum for policymakers, researchers, agency representatives, and community representatives to have a data-driven exchange of ideas.