NCJ Number
202477
Date Published
February 2003
Length
195 pages
Annotation
This chart book is intended as a reference guide for drug prevention planners and providers, as it gives them an overview of county-level and statewide event rates that are indicative of substance abuse prevention needs.
Abstract
The social indicator study that was designed to provide reliable objective measures of adult and juvenile substance abuse prevention needs for each of Alabama's 67 counties was based on the list of validated and reliable indicators provided by the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention. The data collected represented community-related aspects of risk and protection. Summary indexes that represent total risk are presented as relative rankings to allow comparisons across counties. Indicator-level data are presented as rates per 100,000 people and include the following categories: availability of substances, drug and alcohol use in the community, education, family characteristics, socioeconomic characteristics, and crime. The profiles also present data that represent protective factors. Of the 33 reliable social indicators, 30 were considered risk-factor indicators, and 3 were considered protective factor indicators. The risk and protection indexes are intended to reflect aspects of the community that can influence substance use; however, taken by themselves, they do not predict substance use. Other factors not measured by the indexes, such as school, family, and individual characteristics, must be considered when predicting substance use. Each county was ranked on each reliable indicator. The State profile allows for a comparison between Alabama and the United States as a whole on selected indicators. The profile for each county allows for comparisons of prevention need among the counties. Extensive tables, 2 references, and appended indicator definitions and sources of information