Regional Comparison

Lifetime Cigarette Use – Kentucky River and Four Rivers showed the highest lifetime prevalence for smoking cigarettes. The Mountain region had the lowest lifetime prevalence for smoking. Table 11.1 presents the estimated number and percent of adult Kentuckians who smoke cigarettes by region.

Table 11.1: Estimated number of adult Kentuckians who ever smoked a cigarette by region

Lifetime Alcohol Use – The North Key and Seven Counties regions showed the highest lifetime prevalence of alcohol use. The lowest region was Mountain. There seems to be a correlation between the population density of a region and the percent of persons who use illicit drugs. Table 11.2 presents the estimated number and percent of adult Kentuckians who use illicit drugs by region.

Table 11.2: Estimated number of adult Kentuckians who ever drank by region

Lifetime Illicit Drug Use – The Communicare, Seven Counties , and Bluegrass regions showed the highest lifetime prevalence of drug use. The lowest region was Mountain. Similar to alcohol, there seems to be a correlation between the population density of a region and the percent of persons who use illicit drugs. Table 11.3 presents the estimated number and percent of adult Kentuckians who use illicit drugs by region.

Table 11.3: Estimated number of adult Kentuckians who ever used illicit drugs by region

Lifetime Marijuana Use – The Bluegrass, Seven Counties , and North Key regions still rank high in percent of lifetime prevalence of marijuana use, however, other less populated regions like Four Rivers also rank higher. Table 11.4 presents the estimated number and percent of adult Kentuckians who smoke marijuana by region.

Table 11.4: Estimated number of adult Kentuckians who ever used marijuana by region

Lifetime Cocaine Use – The percent of persons who use cocaine appear to be distributed equitably throughout the state. Table 11.5 presents the estimated number and percent of adult Kentuckians who use cocaine.

Table 11.5: Estimated number of adult Kentuckians who ever used cocaine by region

Lifetime Hallucinogen Use – The highest concentration of lifetime prevalence of hallucinogen use seems to be concentrated in the North-Central part of the state. Table 11.6 presents the estimated number and percent of adult Kentuckians who use hallucinogens.

Table 11.6: Estimated number of adult Kentuckians who ever used hallucinogens by region

Past Year Alcohol Abuse and Dependence – The Seven Counties and Pennyroyal regions had the highest percent of persons who met criteria for alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence in the past year. The River Valley and Comprehend regions had the lowest percent of persons who met criteria for alcohol abuse in the past year. The Lifeskills, North Key, and River Valley regions had the lowest percentages for dependence. Table 11.7 presents the estimated number and percent of adult Kentuckians who met criteria for alcohol abuse or alcohol dependence in the past year.

Table 11.7: Estimated number of adult Kentuckians who met alcohol abuse and dependence in the past year by region

Past Year Drug Abuse and Dependence – The Pennyroyal region had the highest percent of persons who met criteria for drug abuse and drug dependence in the past year. Table 11.8 presents the estimated number and percent of adult Kentuckians who met criteria for drug abuse or dependence in the past year.

Table 11.8: Estimated number of adult Kentuckians who met drug abuse and dependence in the past year by region

e – estimate too small to calculate accurately

Table 11.9: Estimated number of adult Kentuckians in current need of alcohol/drug treatment by region