www.PRC6.org www.council-houston.org ebreeding@councilonrecovery.org

REGIONAL NEEDS ASSESSMENT EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

TEXAS REGION 6 | 2015

EMILY BREEDING

THE COUNCIL ON RECOVERY

303 JACKSON HILL ST., HOUSTON TX 77007

AUGUST 2015

REGIONAL NEEDS ASSESSMENT EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Regional Needs Assessment provides data related to underage drinking and drug use in the Gulf Coast Region of Texas. Our purpose is to provide a foundation of information for prevention program planning and evidence-based decision making. The Prevention Resource Center is a program of the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) and The Council on Recovery. This report summarizes key findings and:

  Regional demographics   Youth substance use rates

  Risk factors   Protective factors

KEY FINDINGS Ü The top prevention priorities identified by DSHS -- alcohol, marijuana,

prescription drugs -- continue to match regional indicators for substances of choice among youth and local prevention and treatment needs.

Ü Teens’ perception of the risks of alcohol and marijuana are lower in Region 6 than state averages. Research consistently indicates that as perceived risk of harm decreases, use increases.

Ü Region 6’s rural and semi-rural areas remain underserved by prevention and treatment services: Austin, Chambers, Liberty, Matagorda, Waller, and Wharton Counties.

Ü Synthetic drug use and availability is rising in Region 6 in 2014-2015, with very serious health effects. Community awareness of this public health threat is needed, as well as enforcement of new state laws prohibiting synthetic drug sales or possession.

Ü More education for parents is needed, in terms of the health and developmental risks of underage drinking and drug use, age of first use, and evidence-based protective factors.

Ü Prevention materials and public service announcements are needed in multiple languages in this diverse region.

The full 2015 RNA can be found at

www.PRC6.org.

OUR REGION

DEMOGRAPHICS Texas Region 6 encompasses 13 counties and the city of Houston. Over 6.3 million people live here, including 930,000 youths.

Population and Youth Population by County in Region 61 Report Area Total Population 12-21 Years of Age % Youth of total population State of Texas 26,448,193 3,936,400 14.9% Region 6 6,333,796 929,473 14.6% Austin 29,178 4,096 14.0% Brazoria 330,385 47,844 14.5% Chambers 36,774 6,081 16.5% Colorado 21,514 2,862 13.3% Fort Bend 650,693 108,619 16.7% Galveston 305,938 42,027 13.7% Harris 4,325,413 615,783 14.2% Liberty 78,982 11,190 14.2% Matagorda 36,541 5,288 14.5% Montgomery 497,791 73,147 14.7% Walker 69,411 11,305 16.3% Waller 45,277 9,142 20.2% Wharton 41,311 5,822 14.1%

Ø The Kinder Institute reports that the Houston metropolitan area is the most racially/ethnically diverse large city in America.

Anglo, 37.7%

Hispanic, 36.9%

African-American,

16.7%

Other, 8.7%

REGION 6 DIVERSITY, ALL AGES (0-85+)

Anglo, 29.4%

Hispanic, 44.2%

African-American,

18.4%

Other, 8.0%

REGION 6 DIVERSITY, YOUTH (12-21)

In the Houston metro area, 54% of people speak English, 37% speak Spanish, 4% speak an Asian language, and 5% speak an ‘other’ primary language.2

Region 6 has a robust economy with unemployment rates below the state and national averages. The latest data available (2013) shows the median household income in Texas is $53,027, higher than the national median of $51,939.3

HEALTH While Texas enjoys a healthy economy, its population’s health is not as resilient. Texas ranked 31st last year by America’s Health Rankings.4

America’s Health Rankings 2014, Texas: 31st

Strengths Challenges

Low prevalence of smoking High prevalence of physical inactivity

Low rate of drug deaths Lack of health insurance

High immunization coverage Limited availability of primary care physicians

Steady infant mortality decrease Air pollution

YOUTH DRUG AND ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION Data on the use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs (ATOD) among youth is provided by the Texas School Survey 2014 and the Youth Risk Behavior Survey 2013.

Ø Current youth substance use is slightly higher in Region 6 than state averages, across alcohol, marijuana, and prescription drugs.

Ø Tobacco use is lower in Region 6 than state averages.

Ø The average age of initiation to substances is 13 years old.

46% of our region has a non-English first language.

MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL (TSS)5

Detail by grade level is available in the full RNA, as well as data on rates of high-risk/binge drinking.

Alcohol Marijuana Rx Drugs Tobacco SyntheticMarijuana

Region 6 21.9% 9.5% 7.7% 7.0% 1.8%Texas 21.2% 9.1% 7.3% 8.4% 1.8%

0.0%

5.0%

10.0%

15.0%

20.0%

25.0%

CURRENT USE (LAST 30 DAYS), GRADES 7-12

Region 6 Texas

Alcohol Marijuana Rx Drugs Tobacco SyntheticMarijuana

Region 6 51.9% 23.9% 13.9% 20.4% 6.3%Texas 50.5% 23.2% 13.7% 22.4% 6.6%

0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

60.0%

LIFETIME USE (EVER USED), GRADES 7-12

Region 6 Texas

By 12th Grade in Region 6: 70% of teens have used alcohol

41% have used marijuana 10% have used synthetic drugs

HIGH SCHOOL (YRBS)6

11%

23%

31%

14%

20%

36%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

Tobacco Marijuanna Alcohol

CURRENT USE (LAST 30 DAYS), HIGH SCHOOL GRADES 9-12

Houston Texas

Ecstasy Cocaine Inhalants Rx Drugs Marijuanna Tobacco AlcoholHouston 6% 11% 11% 17% 44% 43% 63%Texas 8% 8% 9% 19% 38% 42% 67%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

LIFETIME USE (EVER USED), HIGH SCHOOL GRADES 9-12

Houston Texas

ACCESS

ALCOHOL Parties are the most common access point for alcohol by teens in Region 6.5

PRESCRIPTION DRUGS Among teens and adults, the most common source of prescription drugs is “free from a relative or friend.”7

One doctor

22%More than one

doctor3%

Stole from doctor's office,

clinic, hospital, or pharmacy

1%Free from

relative or friend 44%

Bought from drug dealer or other

stranger4%

Bought/Took from a relative or

friend 19%

Other 7%

WHERE ARE PRESCRIPTION DRUGS OBTAINED? YOUTH AGES 12-17, U.S. (2013)

5.50

%

7.80

%

9.10

% 14.4

0%

22.1

0%

S t o r e H o m e O t h e r so u r c e s

Fr i e n d s P a r t i e s

MOST FREQUENT SOURCES OF ALCOHOL, GRADES 6-12

ACCESS AT SCHOOL 32.2% of Houston area high school students report they were offered, sold, or given an illegal drug on school property in the last school year. This rate is higher than Texas-wide (26.4%) or other major cities, for example Los Angeles (29.5%).6

RISK FACTORS

PERCEPTION The TSS helps measure adolescents’ perceptions of how easily they could get substances if they wanted them.5

Ø 46% of students say that alcohol is easy to access, and 15% say it is not dangerous.

Ø 37% of students say that marijuana is easy to access, and 24% say it is not dangerous.

EASY TO ACCESS SUBSTANCES, REGION 6, GRADES 6-12 Substance Adolescents say “very easy” or “somewhat easy” to access Alcohol 46.4% Marijuana 36.8% Synthetic marijuana 16.6% Prescription drugs n/a

Research indicates that as the perceived risk of harm from a substance decreases, use increases.

85.6%80.9%

71.3%

85.2% 85.6%

9.3% 15.1%24.2%

5.1%3.0%

5.2%4.0% 4.4%

9.8% 11.4%

0.0%10.0%20.0%30.0%40.0%50.0%60.0%70.0%80.0%90.0%

TOBA C C O A LC OH OL MA RI J U A N A SP I C E H YDROC ODON E

REGION 6 PERCEPTION OF RISK, GRADES 6-12, BY SUBSTANCE

Dangerous Total Not Dangerous Total Do not know

PERSONAL FACTORS Patterns of use and risk can vary according to many sociocultural and biological factors. Only two are presented here, family structure and gender.5

Adolescents in homes with only one adult have, on average, elevated incidence of substance use.

Alcohol use is generally higher among girls than boys, and illicit drug use is higher among boys than girls.

RISKY BEHAVIOR6 Ø 46.8% of Houston-area high school teens reported they are sexually active. (45.9%

nationally) Ø 24% of sexually active teens reported they drank alcohol or used drugs before their last

intercourse. (22.4% nationally)

17.3

%

26.1

%

48.5

% 58.8

%

19.2

% 32.5

%

4.9% 8.4%

L IV ING WITH 2 ADUL TS NOT L IV ING WITH 2 ADUL TS

FAMILY STRUCTURE AND SUBSTANCE USE, ALL GRADES 6-12, REGION 6

Tobacco Alcohol Marijuana Synthetic MJ

21.6

%

19.3

%

49.3

%

54.6

%

25.2

%

22.7

%

7.4%

4.9%

M AL E FE M AL E

GENDER AND L IFETIME SUBSTANCE USE, ALL GRADES 6-12, REGION 6

Tobacco Alcohol Marijuana Synthetic MJ

MENTAL HEALTH The suicide rate in Region 6 overall is comparable to the state average. However, some counties have a significantly higher suicide rate than the state average.8

PROTECTIVE FACTORS Prevention efforts have made a measurable impact in Texas. The incidence of youth substance use has declined steadily in the last 20 years; underage drinking has dropped from 74% lifetime use to 50%.9

ATOD EDUCATION The Texas School Survey asks students if they have received information about the risks of drugs and alcohol in a school setting.

Ø The rate of students reporting they received drug or alcohol education in school increased in the 2014 survey by approximately 20% since the previous survey year.

Ø 72% of students grades 6-12 report having received information about drugs or alcohol from a school source.

The latest data available on parent education (2013) indicate that 55% of Houston area teens report their parents have talked with them about drugs and alcohol.10 This rate is protective but could be improved. Prevention literature cites parent involvement as the number-one protective factor.

15.8

1

12.1

5

12.3

3

11.9

9

7.38

13.5

2

9.9

13.7

8

10.9

6 13.6

8

13.9

12.3

9

10.2

3

10.4

1

10.7

3

SUIC IDE RATE PER 100,000 POPULATION (ALL AGES)

55% of teens in Region 6 reported at least one of their parents have talked with them about the dangers of drugs and alcohol.

FAMILY ATTITUDES Research indicates that strong parental boundaries and clear expectations are a protective factor against youth substance use.

Ø 77.1% of students grades 7-12 report their parents would disapprove of alcohol use, in Region 6. This is comparable to the state average of 78%.

Ø 84.5% of students grades 7-12 report their parents would disapprove of marijuana use, in Region 6. This is in line with the state average of 84.8%.

COMMUNITY AWARENESS Region 6 is home to a healthy network of community-based prevention coalitions that work across sectors to raise public awareness of underage drinking and drug use and build capacity for change.

The Houston area has a strong and growing culture of support for recovery. Our region has been recognized as a nationally leading community for alternative peer groups.

Positive community awareness efforts in our region help support prevention, as they bring drugs and alcohol into the community conversation and make it easier for teens to be informed and get help.

ACCESS THE FULL 2015 RNA AT WWW.PRC6.ORG

78.5

%

6.6%

5.2%

0.7%

0.8% 8.

2%

64.2

%

12.9

%

10.2

%

3.8%

1.1% 7.

8%

78.9

%

5.6%

5.0%

1.2%

1.8% 7.

6%

Stro

ngly

Di

sapp

rove

Mild

ly D

isapp

rove

Nei

ther

Mild

ly A

ppro

ve

Stro

ngly

App

rove

Do n

ot k

now

REGION 6 PARENTAL APPROVAL OF SUBSTANCE USE5

Tobacco Alcohol Marijuana

REFERENCES

1 Texas State Center Data Center. Population Estimates. http://txsdc.utsa.edu/Data/TPEPP/Estimates/Tool.aspx. Accessed July 22, 2015. 2 U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011. Via City of Houston Planning & Development Department. Language Spoken City of Houston, State of Texas and the United States. May 9, 2013. 3 U.S. Census Bureau. Small area income and poverty estimates, 2013. Via Houston-Galveston Area Council, http://www.h-gac.com/community/socioeconomic/census/documents/Poverty_Income(SAIPE).pdf. Accessed July 26, 2015. 4 United Health Foundation. America’s Health Rankings. 2014: 127. http://cdnfiles.americashealthrankings.org/SiteFiles/Reports/Americas%20Health%20Rankings%202014%20Edition.pdf. Accessed February 9, 2015. 5 Texas A&M University. Texas School Survey of Drug and Alcohol Use: 2014 HHSC Region 5 and 6 Report Grades 6-12. Spring 2014. 6 Centers for Disease Control. Youth Risk Behavior Survey: Compare state/district and national results. http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/yrbs/factsheets/index.htm#compare. Accessed July 28, 2014. 7 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration. National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 2013. Accessed January 29, 2015. 8 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Multiple cause of death 1999-2013. National Center for Health Statistics, CDC Wonder Online Database. 2015. Accessed April 28, 2015. 9 Texas A&M University. Lifetime Use of Substances, By Grade: All Texas Secondary Students, 1988-2014. Texas School Survey of Drug and Alcohol Use: 1988 – 2014. Accessed May 20, 2015. 10 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. National Survey on Drug Use and Health: 10-year substrate R-DAS (2002-2011). 2013.