The Alaska Department of Health and Human Services recently released a new batch of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) indicator reports, and the latest findings offer the closest look to date at how the state is coping with childhood trauma in its cities and boroughs.
Taken together, the 12 indicator reports focus on a broad range of traumatic experiences, from neglect to abuse to mental illness. Research has shown that the presence of ACEs in households contributes to serious health problems for children as they mature, and often persist later on into adulthood.
For example, the likelihood of being a current smoker is 240 percent higher for an Alaskan with an ACEs score of four or more, compared with a score of zero (see chart). Alaska pays $576 million annually for health care costs associated with smoking.
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