Substance Use in Minnesota : Data By Topic

Number of Average Age at Which Students Reported First Trying Drugs, Other Than Marijuana, All Available Years: by Grade, Race, Gender, and Region

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			2007			2010
			Male	Female	Total	Male	Female	Total
Minnesota	6th	White	11	10	11	11	11	11
		African-American or Black	11	11	11	10	11	10
		Native American	11	11	11	11	11	11
		Asian American/Pacific Islander	11	10	11	10	11	10
		Hispanic/Latino	11	11	11	11	11	11
		All Races Combined	11	11	11	11	11	11
	9th	White	13	13	13	13	14	13
		African-American or Black	13	13	13	12	13	13
		Native American	13	13	13	13	13	13
		Asian American/Pacific Islander	13	13	13	13	13	13
		Hispanic/Latino	13	13	13	13	13	13
		All Races Combined	13	13	13	13	13	13
	12th	White	15	15	15	15	15	15
		African-American or Black	14	15	15	14	14	14
		Native American	14	15	14	14	15	14
		Asian American/Pacific Islander	15	15	15	15	15	15
		Hispanic/Latino	15	14	15	14	15	15
		All Races Combined	15	15	15	15	15	15
	All Grades	White	13	13	13	14	14	14
		African-American or Black	13	13	13	13	13	13
		Native American	13	13	13	12	13	13
		Asian American/Pacific Islander	13	13	13	13	14	13
		Hispanic/Latino	13	13	13	13	13	13
		All Races Combined	13	13	13	14	14	14
Metro	6th	White	10	10	11	11	11	11
		African-American or Black	10	11	11	10	10	10
		Native American	10	11	10	10	11	11
		Asian American/Pacific Islander	11	10	11	10	11	10
		Hispanic/Latino	11	11	11	11	11	11
		All Races Combined	11	11	11	11	11	11
	9th	White	13	13	13	13	14	13
		African-American or Black	13	13	13	12	13	13
		Native American	13	13	13	13	13	13
		Asian American/Pacific Islander	13	13	13	13	13	13
		Hispanic/Latino	13	13	13	13	13	13
		All Races Combined	13	13	13	13	13	13
	12th	White	15	15	15	15	15	15
		African-American or Black	14	15	14	14	14	14
		Native American	15	14	14	14	15	15
		Asian American/Pacific Islander	15	15	15	15	15	15
		Hispanic/Latino	15	14	15	14	15	15
		All Races Combined	15	15	15	15	15	15
	All Grades	White	13	13	13	14	14	14
		African-American or Black	13	13	13	13	13	13
		Native American	13	13	13	12	13	13
		Asian American/Pacific Islander	13	13	13	13	14	13
		Hispanic/Latino	13	13	13	13	13	13
		All Races Combined	13	13	13	14	14	14
Non-Metro	6th	White	11	10	11	11	11	11
		African-American or Black	11	11	11	10	12	11
		Native American	11	11	11	11	11	11
		Asian American/Pacific Islander	11	11	11	11	10	11
		Hispanic/Latino	11	11	11	10	11	11
		All Races Combined	11	11	11	11	11	11
	9th	White	13	13	13	13	13	13
		African-American or Black	12	13	12	13	13	13
		Native American	13	13	13	13	13	13
		Asian American/Pacific Islander	13	13	13	12	13	13
		Hispanic/Latino	12	13	13	13	13	13
		All Races Combined	13	13	13	13	13	13
	12th	White	15	15	15	15	15	15
		African-American or Black	14	15	15	14	15	14
		Native American	14	15	14	14	15	14
		Asian American/Pacific Islander	15	15	15	14	15	15
		Hispanic/Latino	15	15	15	15	15	15
		All Races Combined	15	15	15	15	15	15
	All Grades	White	13	13	13	14	14	14
		African-American or Black	13	13	13	13	14	13
		Native American	12	13	13	12	13	13
		Asian American/Pacific Islander	13	13	13	13	14	13
		Hispanic/Latino	13	13	13	13	13	13
		All Races Combined	13	13	13	14	14	14

About the Indicator: These data are valuable for planning and reporting purposes. Some grantees are required to report age of first use as one their GPRA measures. In addition, prevention planners may use data about age of first use as one factor in determining when to initiate prevention programs, policies, and practices. N/A indicates that the data are unavailable or were not collected.

Data Source: Minnesota Student Survey (MSS)

Description: The MSS is a confidential and anonymous self-administered survey given to students attending Minnesota public, charter and tribal schools. From 1995 to 2010, the survey was administered to students in 6th, 9th, and 12th grades. New in 2013, the survey was administered to students in 5th, 8th, 9th, and 11th grades. Trend data are now only available for 9th graders, and only for survey questions that did not change. Most schools elect to participate in the survey; in 2013, this included 84% of public schools in Minnesota.

Although the data are not presented here, the survey is also administered to area learning centers, juvenile correction facilities and private schools electing to participate.

Sponsored by: Minnesota Department of Education

Geographic Level: State, Region, and County

Aggregated data at the state and county level do not reveal disparities that may exist within a given geographic area.

Frequency: Data collected and reported every three years

Characteristics: The results of the MSS are also available at a county level. Data Privacy requirements mandate that data is presented in a manner such that no individual student can be identified through the presentation of the results. As part of the Data Privacy practices, the results are also presented in a manner that no individual school district could be identified through the results. Therefore, for counties that have only one school district, the results are not presented. Results are also withheld for counties in which the minimum number for student participation was not met.

The MSS is a “census” of schools, not a sample. The school districts get their own data. Fifth-graders were not asked all substance use questions. Some school districts do not participate, and student participation within the school district can vary widely. These data are self-reported.

Average Age at First Use of Other Drugs

Geographic Area:

Number of Average Age at Which Students Reported First Trying Drugs, Other Than Marijuana, All Available Years: by Grade, Race, Gender, and Region