Drug use survey that I am using is the Drug Data Summary provided by the White House Drug Policy initiative. (www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov).This survey and the facts it provides is of interest to me because it focuses especially on drug use as it pertains to young people.
Of most interest to me, is the fact that 15.9 million Americans ages twelve and above reported using an illicit drug "in the month before the survey was conducted." Further, twelve percent of the total population reported illicit drug use within the past year, while over forty-one percent reported some use of an illicit drug "at least once during their lifetimes." The most commonly used illicit drug is marijuana, followed by cocaine and various forms of hallucinogens. More so, thirty-seven percent of individuals surveyed over the age of twelve reported "lifetime use of marijuana."
Some of the highest rates of drug use are in the youngest populations, with the general trend tapering off with age. Of those who responded between the ages of twelve and seventeen, nearly thirty percent reported using drugs at some point in their lives. In the age group of eighteen to twenty-five, over fifty-five percent reported having used drugs sometime in their lives. In terms of drugs of choice for high school seniors, nearly half of all drug users prefer marijuana, although such drugs as amphetamines, hallucinogens and ecstasy all report surprisingly high numbers also.
What can be concluded from this study is that drug use begins at an early age, most often during one's high school years. However, the statistics show, as the number of regular users drops off as they age, the trend is more towards experimentation and not creating a drug-dependent lifestyle.
Bibliography
National Drug Threat Assessment: Marijuana Update. August 2002. www.usdoj.gov/ndic/pubs1/1335
Office of National Drug Control Policy. (2006): "Fact Sheet." Executive Office of the President: Drug Policy Information Clearing House. www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov.
