Using Data to Identify Substance Abuse Prevention Needs

Abstract

The Indiana State Epidemiology and Outcomes Workgroup (SEOW)developed a scoring system that will assist policymakers and funders in identify the Indiana counties most impacted by alcohol and drug abuse. However, the Substance Abuse Priority Index (SAPI) is not a comprehensive instrument, rather a tool based on various county-level data sources; hence, its accuracy is dependent on the quality of the available data. This issue brief represents a summary of the methodology and findings on the development of a substance abuse priority score.