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Assessment
SEOW Epidemiological Profile
Executive Summary
The Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services is committed to moving toward need-based funding through improved data collection and analysis. One important aspect of prevention services is the ability to track the needs of communities through epidemiological factors. Based on the identified needs, resources can be allocated to address the problem using evidence-based programming. Wisconsin’s 2006 “Epidemiological Profile Report” provides a foundation for further study of problems regarding use and abuse of substances and the resulting consequences.
Key Findings
Consequences of Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Consumption
Many types of mortality, morbidity, and dangerous criminal behaviors have been linked to the use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. Given Wisconsin’s high rate of alcohol consumption, it is not surprising that the rates at which Wisconsin experiences the consequences associated with alcohol use also tend to be higher than the national average. Rates of alcohol dependence, alcohol abuse, and alcohol-related motor vehicle fatalities are higher in Wisconsin than in the United States. Wisconsin has 1½ times the national rate of arrests for operating while intoxicated and more than three times the national rate of arrests for liquor law violations.
One surprising finding is that Wisconsin has a lower rate of alcohol-related liver cirrhosis than the national average. Lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are two catastrophic consequences of tobacco consumption. So far, the mortality rates for these two diseases in Wisconsin have been lower than the national average. However, in the past ten years, there has been no reduction in the mortality rates for these two diseases. Additionally, crime associated with illicit drug use also negatively affects the community. From 1996 to 2004, the rate of arrests for drug law violations was higher in Wisconsin compared to the national average.
Alcohol Consumption
In 2005, Wisconsin had perhaps the highest prevalence of alcohol use in the country. The percent of high school students who initiated alcohol use before the age of 13 was similar to the national average and has been decreasing over the past five years. However, current use of alcohol among both youth and adults was among the highest in the country. In 2005, Wisconsin high school students reported the highest rate of current alcohol use among all reporting states and the fifth highest rate of binge drinking. Among adults, Wisconsin had the highest prevalence of binge drinking, current alcohol use, and episodic heavy drinking in the country. The rate of per capita alcohol consumption was also among the highest in the nation.
Tobacco Consumption
Tobacco consumption is decreasing in Wisconsin. Among high school students, the prevalence of smoking has dropped considerably, from 36% in 1997 to 23% in 2005. The prevalence of current smoking among adults dropped slightly between 2000 (23%) and 2005 (21%). One trend worth noting is the reduction in per capita tobacco consumption. Wisconsin’s per capita consumption dropped almost 20% between 1996 and 2005, representing a reduction of 19 packs per person annually in the past 10 years. However, smoking prevalence remains high in certain demographic groups. American Indian and African American adults still smoke at rates far higher than the Wisconsin average (32% and 30%, respectively, in 2005).
Other Drug Consumption
The use of drugs other than alcohol and tobacco remains a problem in Wisconsin. As a whole, consumption patterns of illicit drugs in Wisconsin mirrored national trends with few exceptions. One notable trend was in the use of marijuana. In 1997, the prevalence of both lifetime and current use of marijuana was lower than the national average. Over the next four years, however, these measures rose until they were nearly identical to the national averages. Since 2001, both lifetime and current use of marijuana in the United States and Wisconsin have decreased at similar rates. In the United States as a whole, illicit consumption of prescription drugs among youth has been rising. Data on state-specific rates were unavailable.
Conclusion
Areas of need are easily identified through this report. Wisconsin data for 2005 show a higher prevalence of alcohol use and binge drinking in adults and college students compared to the country as a whole. Another problem area is the high rate of smoking among American Indian and African American adults. Regarding illicit drug use, in 2005 men were more than twice as likely to die due to drug use compared to women; blacks were more than three times more likely to die due to drug use than the Wisconsin average. From 1996 to 2004, Wisconsin's arrest rate for liquor law violations was more than three times the national rate. From 1996 to 2004, the rate of drug law arrests was higher in Wisconsin compared to the nation as a whole. The economic and health costs of substance abuse in Wisconsin are great, as are the related costs to the community of arrest and criminal offenses. Future studies will focus on these key areas and will guide the state’s funding decisions regarding which problems to address and which interventions to use.
