2019 Challenge Problem
One is Too Many and a Thousand Not Enough: Substance Use and Abuse
Substances such as tobacco, alcohol, and narcotics can affect the physical and mental health of users. The consequences of substance abuse, both financial (health care, the criminal justice system, workplace productivity, etc) and non-financial (divorce, domestic abuse, etc), ripple through society and affect more than just the user.
How will nicotine use due to vaping grow or decline over the next 10 years? What is the likelihood that a given individual will use a given substance, taking into account social influence? How many high school seniors will use substances? These issues and questions were all part of this year’s MathWorks Math Modeling Challenge.
