Callaway youth tell survey of substance abuse problems

Callaway County youth admit having higher alcohol use, binge drinking, prescription and over-the-counter drug use than their peers elsewhere in the state, according to new state figures.

The Missouri Department of Mental Health has released a behavioral health profile for Callaway County in 2012 using the most recent data from the 2010 Missouri Student Survey.

According to the report, 24.4 percent of Callaway youth in grades 6-12 reported alcohol use in the past 30 days - up from the state average of 19.8 percent. In the same age group, 13.3 percent in the same age group reported binge drinking, which is defined as five or more drinks on a single occasion, higher than the statewide 11.4 percent.

Another 7.2 percent said they had abused prescription drugs, while 5 percent had abused over-the-counter medicines, as opposed to 6.7 percent and 4.8 percent for the state respectively.