The Illinois Department of Public Health this week issued its first-ever comprehensive statewide report on alcohol use by adults and teens statewide.The health department collected and analyzed data from multiple sources for the report, “Alcohol Use in Illinois.” The state agency also used its o wn Illinois Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey and Illinois Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey.The aim of the report is for state and local health officials to develop programs to address health-related issues from alcohol use and abuse.“This report provides the most detailed picture to date of how alcohol use and misuse affect the health and safety of Illinois residents,” Dr. Sameer Vohra, health department director, said in a written statement. “By leveraging this data, public health professionals and community partners can develop targeted, evidence-based programs to reduce alcohol-related harms and promote healthier behaviors. This report serves as a critical foundation for a more informed, coordinated response to the growing public health challenges posed by alcohol misuse across Illinois.”The report has several key takeaways including:Nearly 23% of Illinois high school students reported drinking at least one alcoholic beverage in the past 30 days; Drinking was reported by more than 28% of female high school students and 17% of male high school students, while binge drinking was reported by 15% of female students and 8% of male students;Among adults, 57% said they had consumed at least one alcoholic beverage in the past 30 days, while more than 18% acknowledged binge drinking in the same time frame; LGBTQ+ people were more likely to report binge drinking in the past 30 days (nearly 23%) than heterosexual persons (17%).Leslie Wise, an opioid epidemiologist with the health department, was a co-author of the report.When it comes to the percentage of female high schoolers binge drinking, Wise said a number of factors could be coming into play.“There have been studies published that discuss the gender differences and risk factors for adolescent binge drinking and some of the implications for intervention and prevention. Some of those are risk factors that definitely point to peer pressure,” Wise said. “That pressure to fit in and impress others.”The report also shines a light on alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes. The percentage of people killed in motor vehicle crashes where alcohol was found in a driver’s bloodstream increased from 33% in 2019 to 37% in 2022, the report states.“Anytime that we see an increase in preventable deaths that is something for us to take into account and be aware of and see if we can help spread the message of these preventable fatalities,” Wise said.The report also draws attention to how alcohol plays a role in health problems, including certain cancers.From 2020-2023, the report concludes more than 2,300 deaths statewide were directly attributable to chronic alcohol use for conditions such as alcoholic liver disease and alcohol dependency syndrome. The report cited another 2,000 deaths from hypertension, coronary heart disease and liver cancer were indirectly associated with chronic alcohol use.“I hope that with this report it can at least bring some awareness to those with younger teenagers in their life, it can kind of bring awareness to what's happening across the state and maybe we need to have that conversation with our loved ones,” Wise said. “Let's have that conversation about alcohol use, the risk factors, whether or not we want to work toward prevention of them. Hopefully this can just bring about awareness is essentially what we're looking for. That's what we're hoping to achieve.” Related Chicago is a drinker’s paradise — even for the sober and the sober-curious among us Gen Z is drinking less — and it’s changing Chicago’s social scene Michael Puente is a reporter and weekend anchor for WBEZ. Reach him at [email protected].  ...read more read less