NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DRUG ABUSE EPIDEMIOLOGIC ...

included reports of ED cases involving underage
drinking—623 in 2004 (exhibit 1).
One-half of all admissions to addiction treatment
programs (49.3 percent) were attributable to alcohol
(exhibit 2). The average age of first use was 16.
While still the number one drug of abuse among high
school students, alcohol use declined in 2004, according
to the Minnesota Student Survey. Past-year alcohol
use was reported by 60.4 percent of high school
seniors in 2004, compared with 65.0 percent in 2001
(exhibit 5).
Similarly, tobacco use declined significantly in 2004.
According to the Minnesota Student Survey, pastyear
use of tobacco products was reported by 41.8
percent of high school seniors in 2004, compared
with 48.4 percent in 2001 (exhibit 5).
Daily tobacco use remained widespread among patients
in addiction treatment programs (exhibit 2).
Prescription drug abuse, a category that includes the
nonmedical abuse of a wide range of prescription
140
EPIDEMIOLOGIC TRENDS IN DRUG ABUSE—Minneapolis/St. Paul
drugs, increased somewhat in 2004 among students in
the Twin Cities area. According to the Minnesota Student
Survey, past-year prescription drug abuse was
reported by 11.0 percent of high school seniors in
2004, compared with 9.4 percent in 2001 (exhibit 5).
INFECTIOUS DISEASES RELATED TO SUBSTANCE ABUSE
Most AIDS cases in Minnesota were in the Minneapolis/St.
Paul area in 2003. Of the 1,642 people living
with AIDS, the exposure categories were as follows:
men who have sex with men (54 percent); injection
drug use (8 percent); men who have sex with men
and injection drug use (5 percent); heterosexual contact
(12 percent); perinatal/other (2 percent); unspecified
(8 percent); and no interview (11 percent).
The Minnesota Department of Health reported 2,400
newly identified hepatitis C virus cases in 2003, most
of whom were chronically infected. Of the 23 acute
cases, 57 percent reported past injection drug abuse.
The level of HCV, a blood-borne liver disease,
among injection drug abusers remained high, with
estimated rates as high as 90 percent among patients
in methadone treatment programs.
For inquiries concerning this report, please contact Carol Falkowski, Director of Research Communications, Hazelden Foundation, Butler
Center for Research, 15245 Pleasant Valley Road, Box 11, Center City, MN 55012-0011, Phone: 651-213-4566, Fax: 651-213-4344, E-mail:
cfalkowski@hazelden.org.
Proceedings of the Community Epidemiology Work Group, Vol. II, January 2005