Drug/Substance Abuse

Drug abuse is a serious public health problem that affects almost every community and family in some way. Each year drug abuse results in around 40 million serious illnesses or injuries among people in the United States.


Factors


Trends in Drug Abuse (Ref: NIDA)

The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) supported by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration also tracks drug use in populations aged 12 and older. Both surveys (MTF and NSDUH) indicate that disturbing patterns in overall drug use are still evident.

• An estimated 19.5 million Americans aged 12 or older were current users of an illicit drug in 2003. This estimate represents 8.2 percent of the population.²
  
• Over half (51%) of America’s teenagers have tried an illicit drug by the time they finish high school.¹
  
• An estimated 71 million Americans reported being current users of a tobacco product in 2003, a prevalence rate of 30% for the population 12 years and older.²
  
• Marijuana is the most widely used illicit substance in this country. In 2003, 14.6 million people were current users of marijuana.²
  
• For the second year in a row inhalant use has increased in 8th graders with 17.3% reporting use at least once in their lifetime. These drugs are particularly dangerous because they can damage the nervous system even after a single use, and they can be fatal.