Alaska News

Study: Alcohol is number-one health concern to Alaskans

Alcohol abuse is the number-one health issue of concern to Alaskans, a new study has found.

The State of Alaska Department of Health and Social Services and the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium have teamed up for the Healthy Alaskans 2020 initiative (HA2020), a project working to pinpoint Alaska-specific health concerns and guide efforts in the state around common health goals.

HA2020 is a decade-long project that will narrow in on Alaska's most pressing health concerns, set health goals, and look for ways to meet those goals by 2020.

More than 1,500 Alaskans from across the state, the majority between the ages 30-59, responded to the survey.

After analyzing the results, the HA2020 has ranked the top 10 health issues important to Alaskans, in order of priority.

  • alcohol use and abuse;
  • cost of health care;
  • diet, exercise and obesity;
  • other substance abuse;
  • violence;
  • community safety;
  • quality of life and well-being;
  • sexual and reproductive practices;
  • chronic disease related health outcomes; and
  • education.

These initial results will be used to help formulate the next survey, set to begin Jan. 15, 2013. The survey will be open to all Alaskans. Want to take the survey? Visit HA2020's website, where they will be posting it online.

Check out the key findings from the survey results.

Craig Medred

Craig Medred is a former writer for the Anchorage Daily News, Alaska Dispatch and Alaska Dispatch News. He left the ADN in 2015.

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