The Problem
Substance abuse is an expanding and destructive presence in our state. For example, in 2011, 18% of Indiana high school students drank alcohol for the first time before age 13 years, 37% of Indiana high school students used marijuana one or more times (during their life), 11% of Indiana high school students had sniffed glue, breathed the contents of aerosol spray cans, or inhaled any paints or sprays to get high one or more times (during their life) (http://www.hhs.gov/ash/oah/adolescent-health-topics/substance-abuse/states/in.html ).
The issue of substance abuse is a great concern to the residents of Lake County, IN as well.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, National Drug Intelligence Center, Lake County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, Drug Market Analysis 2011 report:
• Heroin availability is increasing in the Lake County region, contributing to rising levels of heroin abuse, treatment, and overdoses.
• Cocaine is becoming increasingly available; however, availability remains lower than it was several years ago.
• Mexican ice methamphetamine availability in Lake County is increasing, resulting in an increase in abuse and treatment admissions.
• Controlled prescription drug (CPD) availability and abuse, particularly abuse of prescription opioids, are increasing in Lake County and are contributing to a recent surge in drug overdose deaths.
• MDMAa (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, also known as ecstasy) availability and abuse have increased in urban areas of Lake County as indicated by increased seizures and lower prices. MDMA abuse has risen most among the African American and young adult populations.
The Lake County Juvenile Court reports that drug related cases increased from 305 total cases in 2008 to 340 total cases in 2009 and continued to climb to 362 in 2010.
DARMHA reports that treatment for Cannabis abuse increased from 8.4% in 2010 to 8.7% in 2011 among consumers in Lake County.
DARMHA reports that there was an 8.5% increase among Lake County consumers in total drug related treatment episodes from 2010 to 2011.
DARMHA reports that treatment for cocaine dependence increased by 8.5% from 2010 to 2011 among Lake county consumers.
The Project
The Northwest Indiana Center for Data & Analysis (Data Center) at the John Anderson Library, Indiana University Northwest, proposes the creation of a SUBSTANCE ABUSE LIBGUIDE FOR LAKE COUNTY, IN: ONLINE STATISTICS, MAPS AND RESOURCES as a method of providing dynamic educational resources concerning adolescent substance abuse prevention and treatment. Springshare LibGuide is “The most widely used system for creating research guides and sharing knowledge.” (http://springshare.com/libguides/). This web guide will be maintained by the Data Center analysts at IU Northwest, and will be regularly updated with the most recent local data concerned with adolescent substance abuse. Local professionals will also be called upon to provide relevant and timely information concerned with this topic.
In 2012 the Data Center received funding from the Lake County Substance Abuse Council to create a Directory of Local Asset Organizations (also link to Google Maps where each site is included with contact information) involved in dealing with issues related to substance abuse and law enforcement, treatment, and prevention. In addition, a Resources Guide was created to include websites containing relevant information and data on a variety of substance abuse issues. Information and data related to substance abuse issues are constantly changing and new sources also become available. The project we propose here will include the previous work but will also provide a dynamic location where this information resides online and data can be easily and often changed and updated.
Three new contact areas will be built into the LibGuide: Community Data, Student Data, Maps,
The Lake County Substance Abuse Council, its administration and members, can help to provide appropriate content for these resources.
Our Target Audience
Lake County, IN citizens of all ages, that have need for information related to substance abuse treatment, prevention and law enforcement including professionals in the substance abuse field.
