Our Impact

Reduction in Youth Substance Use

Savings In Public Burden Spending For Every Dollar Spent On Prevention

Total Volunteer Hours

Benefit Cost

COALITION EFFECTIVENESS

A Benefit: Cost Analysis of Substance Misuse Prevention in Anderson County, TN

Substance Misuse Prevention coalitions in Tennessee have initiated favorable reductions in adolescent substance misuse over the past decade. Coalition work includes strengthening collaboration among community sectors by working at the grassroots level and utilizing environmental strategies to achieve population-level reductions in youth substance use. Based on the Strategic Prevention Framework model of change, coalitions have proven to utilize funds effectively, producing a benefit: cost ratio of $4.60 in savings in the state of Tennessee.

For every dollar invested in substance misuse prevention in Anderson County, Tennessee, a savings of $17.73 in public burden spending is realized.

Past 30 Day Substance Use Among Youth in Anderson County 2012 vs 2014

Shoveling Up the Consequences

A study completed by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University (CASA) finds, “for every dollar the federal and state governments spent on prevention and treatment, they spent $59.83 shoveling up the consequences” of our failure to prevent and treat the problem.

The largest impact on spending to “shovel up” the consequences of substance use “would be to make significant investments in prevention to help avoid the costs altogether.”

The work of coalitions implementing comprehensive, multi-faceted strategies to affect youth substance misuse have been proven to be effective in utilizing public funds to reduce youth substance use. Sustainability, however, is integral to the success of maintaining these significant reductions. Coalitions continue to face challenges in securing funding to help their community identify local solutions to address their unique substance misuse challenges.

Four Core Measures

ASAP uses four core measures used to measure youth use of alcohol, tobacco, prescription drugs, and marijuana.

1

The percentage of youth who report using alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, or prescription drugs at least once in the 30 days immediately preceding the survey date.

2

The percentage of youth who think there is moderate or great risk in binge drinking, smoking one or more packs of cigarettes per day, smoking marijuana once or twice a week, or using prescription drugs not prescribed to them.

3

The percentage of youth who report that their parents feel regular use of alcohol is wrong or very wrong, and report that their parents feel any use of cigarettes, marijuana, or unprescribed prescription drugs is wrong.

4

The percentage of youth who report that their friends feel regular use of alcohol is wrong or very wrong, and report that their friends feel any use of cigarettes, marijuana, or unprescribed prescription drugs is wrong.

PRIDE Survey Data

Nationally, fewer teens smoke cigarettes than smoke marijuana (NIDA, Drug Facts: High School and Youth Trends); however, we observe the opposite in Anderson County (Anderson County Risk and Protective Factors Questionnaire). Between 2016 and 2018, youth reports of past 30-day use of e-cigarettes nearly doubled from 5.7% to 11.8% (PRIDE Survey, 2018)

Perception of Risk

Perception of Risk measures how much risk students associate with use. Historically, when the perception of risk is high, the prevalence of use is low. This graph illustrates students who associate “moderate” or “great risk” with use. Although adolescents may understand the riskiness of their behavior and estimate their perception of risk at a similar level to adults, there are different factors they face (such as anxiety in social situations, peer pressures, sensitivity to impulsiveness, etc.) that make them prone to taking risks.

Anderson County PRIDE Survey Report 2018

Perception of Parent Approval/Disapproval

Perception of Parent Disapproval measures how much students perceive their parents to approve or disapprove of their drug or alcohol use. Research indicates when perceived disapproval is high, the prevalence of use is low. This graph illustrates students who believe their parents would identify their drug use as “wrong” or “very wrong.” In some studies, parental disapproval had a stronger effect on alcohol use in earlier vs. later adolescence (Mrug & McCay. 2013).

Anderson County PRIDE Survey Report 2018

Perception of Peer Approval/Disapproval

Perception of Peer Disapproval measures how much students perceive their peers to approve or disapprove of their drug or alcohol use. This graph illustrates students who believe their peers would identify their drug use as “wrong” or “very wrong.”

Anderson County PRIDE Survey Report 2018

30-Day Use

Compared to 2017, in 2018 there were 1.5 million more adolescent e-cigarette users (CDC, Tobacco Use by Youth Rising). Although nationally, tobacco product use is increasing through e-cigarettes, we are still seeing a decrease in tobacco use. This is also observed in Anderson County (Anderson County Risk and Protective Factors Questionnaire).

Anderson County PRIDE Survey Report 2018

*Although this data is from older PRIDE surveys, new data will arrive in the fall of 2023. Please visit back at this time for all the latest data!

Want More Data?

TN Department of Mental Health & Substance Abuse Services Fast Facts

Fast Facts provides a quick overview of key statistics about TDMHSAS funded mental health and substance misuse services in Tennessee as well as budget and service information for the Tennessee Department of Mental health and Substance-Abuse Services.