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Youth Use of Pain Killers to Get High

Summary Indicator Report Data View Options

Painkiller use to get high had the second highest prevalence (7.9%) of all 30-day drug use measures in the 2015 YRRS, behind marijuana 25.3%). The question about the use of painkillers to get high is not on the national YRBS, and there is no national comparison.

Youth Used Pain Killer to Get High by County, Grades 9-12, New Mexico, 2019

Why Is This Important?

Substance abuse among youth remains a major public health problem. Substance use and abuse can increase the risk for injuries, violence, HIV infection, and other diseases (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/alcoholdrug).

Definition

Youth use of pain killers to get high is defined as a youth in grades 9-12 in a NM public school who reported using a painkiller (such as Vicodin, OxyContin, or Percocet) to get high at least one time in the past 30 days

Data Source

New Mexico Youth Risk and Resiliency Survey, New Mexico Department of Health and Public Education Department.

How the Measure is Calculated

Numerator:Number of youth reporting use of pain killers to get high
Denominator:Total number of youth participating in the YRRS

Other Objectives

Substance Abuse Epidemiology Report Indicator

Indicator Data Last Updated On 05/20/2021, Published on 05/28/2021
Substance Use Epidemiology, Epidemiology and Response Division, New Mexico Department of Health, 1190 S. Saint Francis Drive, Room N-1103, Santa Fe, NM, 87502. Contact Annaliese Mayette, Alcohol Epidemiologist, by telephone at (505) 476-1788 or email to Annaliese.Mayette@state.nm.us.