CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WAND) - Excessive drinking contributes to over 50 causes of death in the United States. Recent studies show Illinois teens are drinking nearly twice the national average, increasing their risk for health problems.Â
"This year, there were a couple of concerning trends, primarily with eighth graders. So, the reason this is important is that if you use drugs before age 14 or 15, you have a higher likelihood of becoming addicted later on in life," University of Illinois professor Doug Smith said. Â
Smith is a professor of social work and the director of prevention research development. The Illinois Youth Survey is conducted every two years; the most recent study uses data from 2024, and the upcoming study will use data from 2026. Researchers found that eighth graders are using more alcohol, and teens are using more cannabis.Â
"We found that among the eighth graders that had used alcohol in the past year, 10%, one in 10 of them got alcohol through an app or through, [a] food delivery app, those types of things," Smith explained. Â
Using delivery apps peaked during the 2020 pandemic. Not only are kids using alcohol more, but some teens are also getting sick from cannabis use. Â
"If you have a youth that is in the emergency room with cyclical vomiting, it's important to screen for whether or not they're using cannabis. And it's important to listen to E.R. docs if they tell you that this could be related to cannabis, because that would be a sign of either using very high-concentration marijuana or using marijuana frequently," Smith warned parents. Â
Parents are urged to pay close attention to their delivery apps and talk with teens about the dangers of alcohol and substance use. The 2026 Illinois Youth Survey will be sent to various schools throughout the state, and Smith encourages parents not to opt-out their student out of the survey. For more information on the research for this study, you can read the University of Illinois research article.
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