State of the Georgia Girl Report

Substance Abuse, continued. On average, 1 in 5 middle and high school girls in Georgia perceive no risk to substance use behaviors, including using prescription drugs without a doctor’s orders and smoking a pack of cigarettes per day. This perception gap is itself a leading indicator: youth who perceive low risk in substance use are significantly more likely to use substances in the future, even when current use rates are low. Combating the role of social media in positively portraying substance use remains one of the largest challenges communities face in dissuading drug and alcohol use among teenagers . Studies show that a more frequent use of social media among girls increases the use of controlled substances (Ohannessian, 2017). This compounding effect between substance use and social media increases the urgency for more direct interventions and conversations among teenage girls. 1 in 5 middle and high school girls perceive no risk to substance use behaviors, including using prescription drugs without doctor’s orders Georgia Department of Education, Georgia Student Health Survey – Middle and High School, 2023–2024

Georgia Girls in Middle and High School reporting No Risk to Substance Use Behaviors

PHYSICAL WELLNESS OF GEORGIA GIRLS

24%

22%

20%

20%

19%

5T+wDi rc ien pk es rOWn ceee ko r 1E -v2e rDyr Di nak ys Ci ga1r+e tPtaecskpseor fD ay 1-S2mToikmeeMs apreirjuWaneeak Prescription Drugs not Prescribed

“ This has been amazing... I cannot express how much being a Girl Scout has impacted me on a deeper level . I feel so much more confident.

- Georgia Girl Scout, Junior (4th - 5th Grade), 2025

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THE 2026 STATE OF THE GEORGIA GIRL REPORT