Lesson 2
Lesson 2 Module 1
Substance Use Among Adults
These first two graphs show the percentage of women who used marijuana or alcohol across several years. The third graph shows the percentage of cigarette use among adults in the US in 2018. These represent the three most used substances by women.
Past Month Marijuana Use Among Women (5)
Past Month Alcohol Use Among Women (5)
Cigarette Use Among U.S. Adults, 2018 (6)
Discuss:
How do alcohol and tobacco being legal impact their level of use among young women?
Illicit Drug Use in the Past Year
This chart contains data from 2019. It shows illicit or illegal drug use. Within this group of illicit substances, marijuana is used most by women, followed by psychotherapeutics. This category is made up of pain relievers (including opioids such as oxycodone and codeine that often can be legally obtained through prescriptions), tranquilizers, stimulants, and sedatives, but does not include medications you can buy without a prescription.
Discuss:
Consider how the legalization of marijuana may impact the number of people using it and viewing it as safe to use.
Substance Use By Women 2019 (7)
Substance Use in the Past Month
This chart shows substance use by pregnant women in 2019. We will discuss these different exposures and how they impact pregnancy and development later, but this illustrates for us all that pregnant women as a group are using substances.
Substance Use By Pregnant Women 2019 (8)
Effects of Prenatal Substance Use
This graphic shows the different effects prenatal exposures to substance use can have on a developing baby. Throughout this course you will learn more about which substances can have these effects.
