US Illicit Drug Consumption Down For 12-17 Year Olds

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Main Category: Alcohol / Addiction / Illegal Drugs
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Article Date: 10 Sep 2006 - 11:00 PDT

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Illicit drug consumption for 12-17 year olds continues to fall from 11.6% in 2002 to 9.9% in 2005, according to a new report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Marijuana use among kids in the same age group has also declined from 8.2% in 2002 to 6.8% in 2005.

Here are some more facts from the report (relates to people who consumed within a month of being surveyed):

12-17 year-olds
-- Alcoholic consumption
2005 16.5% - 2004 17.6%
-- Alcoholic binge drinking
2005 9.9% - 2004 11.1%

Baby Boomers (adults aged 50-59)
-- Illicit drug use
2005 4.4% - 2004 2.7%

Young adults (aged 18-25)
-- Illicit drugs
2002-2005 no overall change
-- Cocaine
2002 2% - 2005 2.6%
-- Nonmedical use of prescription drugs
2002 5.4% - 2005 6.3%
-- Nonmedical use of narcotic pain relievers
2002 4.7% - 2005 4.7% (2003 and 2004 4.7%)

Marijuana
-- 2005 14.6 million users overall
-- Aged 12+ - 2005 6% - 2002 6.2%

Nonmedical use of Prescription Drugs (2005)
-- Aged 12+ - 6.4 million (2.6 percent)
-- Of which:
narcotic pain relievers 4.7 million
tranquilizers 1.8 million
stimulants 1.1 million (including 512,000 using methamphetamine)
sedatives 272,000
(All figures similar to 2004)

Cocaine
-- 2004 0.8% - 2005 1%
(Figures have not changed much since 2002)

Heroin
-- 136,000 users in 2005 (0.1%)
(Figures have not changed much since 2002)

Alcohol
-- Binge drinking
aged 12+ 2005 22.7% (55 million people)
aged 18-25 41.9%
(Binge drinking means having 5+ drinks in one sitting)
-- Heavy Drinking
Aged 12+ 2005 6.6% - 2004 6.9%
(Heavy drinking means 5+ binge sessions in one month)
-- Underage Drinking (12-20 years old)
2005 10.8 million (28.2%) of which 7.2 million were binge drinkers
(Figures have not changed much since 2002)

Tobacco
-- 2005 71.5 million people overall use tobacco products, of which
60.5 million smoke cigarettes
13.6 million smoke cigars
2.2 million smoke pipes
7.7 million consumer smokeless tobacco
-- 2002-2005 past month tobacco consumption fell from 30.4% to 29.4%
-- 2002-2005 past month cigarette use fell from 26% to 24.9%

Substance Dependence or Abuse
-- 2005 22.2 million (9.1%) classified with substance dependence or abuse in the past year, of which
3.3 million dependent or abused both illicit drugs and alcohol
3.6 million dependent or abused illicit drugs only
15.4 million dependent or abused alcohol only
(Figures have not changed much since 2002)

HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt said that the trends among young people are encouraging. "We know prevention activities must start with our children. There is more to be done and we must build on our work to ensure that children and their parents understand that they must live free of drugs and alcohol to be healthy. Something important is happening with American teens," said John P. Walters, Director of National Drug Control Policy. "They are getting the message that using drugs limits their futures, and they are turning away from the destructive patterns and cruelly-misinformed perceptions about substance abuse that have so damaged previous generations."

See The Full Survey Online

Written by: Christian Nordqvist
Editor: Medical News Today
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

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