NH Young Adults' Alcohol, Drug Use 5th-Highest in US

New Hampshire ranks among the poorest in the country for rates of young adult alcohol abuse and other drug use, according to the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services.

DHHS's Bureau of Drug and Alcohol Services recently published the findings in the issue brief, “Young Adult Substance Abuse in New Hampshire.” According to the brief, binge drinking among the state’s 18 to 25 year olds is 9 percent above the national average. In that same age group, 27 percent report using marijuana on a regular basis, placing New Hampshire fifth highest in the country for both of these categories.

"The vast majority of those who develop alcoholism and drug addiction began drinking and using drugs in their teens, and the young adult years are often where problems either diminish or get worse,” Bureau of Drug and Alcohol Services Director Joe  Harding. “It’s a critical age where we need to be talking more, whether we’re a health clinic worker, a parent, an employer or a college dorm supervisor.”

The “Young  Adult  Substance  Abuse  in  New  Hampshire” issue brief provides statistics on young adult substance abuse and information on resources available to health clinics, colleges, businesses, and others that interact with the state’s young adult population. It provides  recommendations derived from the state’s March 2013 strategic plan,  Collective  Action – Collective Impact: New Hampshire’s Strategy for Reducing Alcohol and Other Drug Misuse and Promoting Recovery, a publication of the New Hampshire Governor’s Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention, Intervention, and Treatment.