DRUG WAR, ANOTHER YEAR, ANOTHER BUST
DRUG WAR, ANOTHER YEAR, ANOTHER BUST
http://oas.samhsa.gov/nhsda/2k3nsduh/2k3Overview.htm#ch2
The federal government budgets $12 billion a year for the war on drugs. That doesn't include vast expenses at the state or local level or the cost of military assistance. In sum, once again it's been a bust.
Between 2002 and 2003 there was no change in the overall use of illicit drugs. The use of drugs by youths 12 to 17 did not change significantly. The use of alcohol did not significantly change. The number of binge drinkers under the age of 21 is approximately the same as the number of people of any age who use illicit drugs. What is the single most effective treatment for drug use?
Turning 30. A thirty year old is 72% less likely to use illegal drugs than a 20 year old.
These figures are from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration:
- In 2003, an estimated 19.5 million Americans, or 8.2 percent of the population aged 12 or older, were current illicit drug users. There was no change in the overall rate of illicit drug use between 2002 and 2003. In 2002, there were an estimated 19.5 million illicit drug users (8.3 percent).
- The rate of current illicit drug use among youths aged 12 to 17 did not change significantly between 2002 and 2003 and there were no changes for any specific drug. The rate of current marijuana use among youths was 8.2 percent in 2002 and 7.9 percent in 2003.
- Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug, with a rate of 6.2 percent (14.6 million) in 2003. An estimated 2.3 million persons (1.0 percent) were current cocaine users, 604,000 of whom used crack. Hallucinogens were used by 1.0 million persons, and there were an estimated 119,000 current heroin users. All of these 2003 estimates are similar to the estimates for 2002.
- The number of current users of Ecstasy decreased between 2002 and 2003, from 676,000 (0.3 percent) to 470,000 (0.2 percent).
- An estimated 6.3 million persons were current users of psychotherapeutic drugs taken non-medically. This represents 2.7 percent of the population aged 12 or older. An estimated 4.7 million used pain relievers, 1.8 million used tranquilizers, 1.2 million used stimulants, and 0.3 million used sedatives. The 2003 estimates are all similar to the corresponding estimates for 2002.
- There was a significant increase in lifetime non-medical use of pain relievers between 2002 and 2003 among persons aged 12 or older, from 29.6 million to 31.2 million.
- Rates of current illicit drug use varied significantly among the major racial/ethnic groups in 2003. Rates were highest among American Indians or Alaska Natives (12.1 percent), persons reporting two or more races (12.0 percent), and Native Hawaiians or other Pacific Islanders (11.1 percent). Rates were 8.7 percent for blacks, 8.3 percent for whites, and 8.0 percent for Hispanics. Asians had the lowest rate at 3.8 percent.
- An estimated 18.2 percent of unemployed adults aged 18 or older were current illicit drug users in 2003. Most drug users were employed.
- An estimated 119 million Americans aged 12 or older were current drinkers of alcohol in 2003 (50.1 percent). About 54 million (22.6 percent) participated in binge drinking at least once in the 30 days prior to the survey, and 16.1 million (6.8 percent) were heavy drinkers. These 2003 numbers are all similar to the corresponding estimates for 2002.
- About 10.9 million persons aged 12 to 20 reported drinking alcohol in the month prior to the survey interview in 2003 (29.0 percent of this age group). Nearly 7.2 million (19.2 percent) were binge drinkers and 2.3 million (6.1 percent) were heavy drinkers. These 2003 rates were essentially the same as those obtained from the 2002 survey.
- Young adults aged 18 to 25 reported the highest rate of past month cigarette use (40.2 percent). This was similar to the rate among young adults in 2002 (40.8 percent).
- There was no change in cigarette use among boys aged 12 to 17 between 2002 and 2003. However, among girls, cigarette use decreased from 13.6 percent in 2002 to 12.5 percent in 2003.
- The annual number of marijuana initiates generally increased from 1965 until about 1973. From 1973 to 1978, the annual number of marijuana initiates remained level at over 3 million per year. After that, the number of initiates declined, reaching a low point in 1990, then rose again until 1995. From 1995 to 2002, there was no consistent trend, with estimates varying between 2.4 million and 2.9 million per year.
- The number of new daily cigarette smokers decreased from 2.0 million in 1997 to 1.4 million in 2002. Among youths under 18, the number of new daily smokers decreased from 1.1 million per year between 1997 and 2000 to 734,000 in 2002. This corresponds to a decrease from about 3,000 to about 2,000 new youth smokers per day.
- The percentage of youths reporting that it would be easy to obtain marijuana declined slightly between 2002 and 2003, from 55.0 to 53.6 percent. The percentage of youths reporting that LSD would be easy to obtain also decreased between 2002 and 2003, from 19.4 to 17.6 percent.
- Between 2002 and 2003, there was no change in the number of persons with substance dependence or abuse (22.0 million in 2002 and 21.6 million in 2003).
- In 2003, the estimated number of persons aged 12 or older needing treatment for an alcohol or illicit drug problem was 22.2 million (9.3 percent of the total population), about the same as in 2002 (22.8 million).
http://oas.samhsa.gov/nhsda/2k3nsduh/2k3Overview.htm#ch2
The federal government budgets $12 billion a year for the war on drugs. That doesn't include vast expenses at the state or local level or the cost of military assistance. In sum, once again it's been a bust.
Between 2002 and 2003 there was no change in the overall use of illicit drugs. The use of drugs by youths 12 to 17 did not change significantly. The use of alcohol did not significantly change. The number of binge drinkers under the age of 21 is approximately the same as the number of people of any age who use illicit drugs. What is the single most effective treatment for drug use?
Turning 30. A thirty year old is 72% less likely to use illegal drugs than a 20 year old.
These figures are from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration:
- In 2003, an estimated 19.5 million Americans, or 8.2 percent of the population aged 12 or older, were current illicit drug users. There was no change in the overall rate of illicit drug use between 2002 and 2003. In 2002, there were an estimated 19.5 million illicit drug users (8.3 percent).
- The rate of current illicit drug use among youths aged 12 to 17 did not change significantly between 2002 and 2003 and there were no changes for any specific drug. The rate of current marijuana use among youths was 8.2 percent in 2002 and 7.9 percent in 2003.
- Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug, with a rate of 6.2 percent (14.6 million) in 2003. An estimated 2.3 million persons (1.0 percent) were current cocaine users, 604,000 of whom used crack. Hallucinogens were used by 1.0 million persons, and there were an estimated 119,000 current heroin users. All of these 2003 estimates are similar to the estimates for 2002.
- The number of current users of Ecstasy decreased between 2002 and 2003, from 676,000 (0.3 percent) to 470,000 (0.2 percent).
- An estimated 6.3 million persons were current users of psychotherapeutic drugs taken non-medically. This represents 2.7 percent of the population aged 12 or older. An estimated 4.7 million used pain relievers, 1.8 million used tranquilizers, 1.2 million used stimulants, and 0.3 million used sedatives. The 2003 estimates are all similar to the corresponding estimates for 2002.
- There was a significant increase in lifetime non-medical use of pain relievers between 2002 and 2003 among persons aged 12 or older, from 29.6 million to 31.2 million.
- Rates of current illicit drug use varied significantly among the major racial/ethnic groups in 2003. Rates were highest among American Indians or Alaska Natives (12.1 percent), persons reporting two or more races (12.0 percent), and Native Hawaiians or other Pacific Islanders (11.1 percent). Rates were 8.7 percent for blacks, 8.3 percent for whites, and 8.0 percent for Hispanics. Asians had the lowest rate at 3.8 percent.
- An estimated 18.2 percent of unemployed adults aged 18 or older were current illicit drug users in 2003. Most drug users were employed.
- An estimated 119 million Americans aged 12 or older were current drinkers of alcohol in 2003 (50.1 percent). About 54 million (22.6 percent) participated in binge drinking at least once in the 30 days prior to the survey, and 16.1 million (6.8 percent) were heavy drinkers. These 2003 numbers are all similar to the corresponding estimates for 2002.
- About 10.9 million persons aged 12 to 20 reported drinking alcohol in the month prior to the survey interview in 2003 (29.0 percent of this age group). Nearly 7.2 million (19.2 percent) were binge drinkers and 2.3 million (6.1 percent) were heavy drinkers. These 2003 rates were essentially the same as those obtained from the 2002 survey.
- Young adults aged 18 to 25 reported the highest rate of past month cigarette use (40.2 percent). This was similar to the rate among young adults in 2002 (40.8 percent).
- There was no change in cigarette use among boys aged 12 to 17 between 2002 and 2003. However, among girls, cigarette use decreased from 13.6 percent in 2002 to 12.5 percent in 2003.
- The annual number of marijuana initiates generally increased from 1965 until about 1973. From 1973 to 1978, the annual number of marijuana initiates remained level at over 3 million per year. After that, the number of initiates declined, reaching a low point in 1990, then rose again until 1995. From 1995 to 2002, there was no consistent trend, with estimates varying between 2.4 million and 2.9 million per year.
- The number of new daily cigarette smokers decreased from 2.0 million in 1997 to 1.4 million in 2002. Among youths under 18, the number of new daily smokers decreased from 1.1 million per year between 1997 and 2000 to 734,000 in 2002. This corresponds to a decrease from about 3,000 to about 2,000 new youth smokers per day.
- The percentage of youths reporting that it would be easy to obtain marijuana declined slightly between 2002 and 2003, from 55.0 to 53.6 percent. The percentage of youths reporting that LSD would be easy to obtain also decreased between 2002 and 2003, from 19.4 to 17.6 percent.
- Between 2002 and 2003, there was no change in the number of persons with substance dependence or abuse (22.0 million in 2002 and 21.6 million in 2003).
- In 2003, the estimated number of persons aged 12 or older needing treatment for an alcohol or illicit drug problem was 22.2 million (9.3 percent of the total population), about the same as in 2002 (22.8 million).
posted by T. Scott Brineman at 8:42 AM
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