Drug Abuse Dips in Kids, but Increases in Seniors

WASHINGTON — Abuse of illegal drugs by young adults increased between 2004 and 2005, and drug abuse by adults in their 50s has climbed by nearly two-thirds over the last 4 years, according to survey data reported by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Moreover, the use of any illegal drug in the past year among those 65 years old or older nearly doubled during 2004–2005, from 0.9% to 1.7%, and the portion in the 60–64 age group reporting past-year drug abuse rose more than 50%, from 2.0 in 2004 to 3.2% in 2005, according to data from the 2005 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), formerly called the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse.

Despite these figures, abuse of most illegal drugs by minors dropped between 2004 and 2005, according to NSDUH data presented at a press briefing.

SAMHSA officials characterized the overall data as evidence that their programs have been successful. “The news today is there is a fundamental shift in drug use among young people in America,” acting deputy SAMHSA administrator Eric Broderick, D.D.S., said in a statement.

Still, persons in the 18- to 25-year-old age group had the greatest reported prevalence of drug use in 2005, the report noted.

From 2004 to 2005, the number of past-month users increased among young adults for almost all drugs. For these young adults, reported use of marijuana in the past month rose from 16.1% to 16.6%, according to the report. Similar small increases were noted in use of psychotherapeutics (from 6.1% to 6.3%), cocaine (2.1% to 2.6%), and inhalants (0.4% to 0.5%), whereas past-month use of hallucinogens remained at 1.5%. For all illicit drugs other than marijuana, the percentage of users in the past month in the 18–25 group rose between 2004 and 2005, from 8.1% to 8.8% of respondents.

Notably, self-reported use of any illicit drug among those aged 50–59 has risen each of the last 4 years, from under 3% in 2002 to more than 4% in 2005—an increase of 63%.

The NSDUH data do show some decreases in drug use. For persons aged 12–17 years, self-reported use of marijuana in the preceding month has dropped in each of the last 4 years; past-month marijuana use between 2004 and 2005 decreased from 7.6% to 6.8% of this middle-school and high-school age group.

Also, past-month illegal use of prescription psychotherapeutics among 12- to 17-year-olds decreased from 3.6% in 2004 to 3.3% in 2005, and past-month illegal use of inhalants and hallucinogens each remained the same, at 1.2% and 0.8%, respectively.

For cocaine use, however, there was a slight increase in past-month use in the 12–17 age group, from 0.5% to 0.6%.

For all persons queried in the NSDUH (aged 12 and older), the percentage indicating past-month use of marijuana dropped from 6.1% in 2004 to 6.0% last year; the number of persons of all ages who reported first-time use of methamphetamine in the previous year declined 40% between 2004 and 2005, from 318,000 to 192,000. That number had risen 22% between 2003 (260,000) and 2004.

Methamphetamine in particular saw a precipitous drop. For all ages, “lifetime methamphetamine use declined 19% since 2002 and dropped 12% in a single year, the 2004–2005 period,” John Walters, director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, noted at the briefing. The mean age at which marijuana was first used rose slightly from 17.1 years in 2004 to 17.4 years in 2005, compared with 17.0 years in 2002 and 16.8 years in 2003, he said.

Overall past-month tobacco use for all age groups increased slightly from 2004, from 29.2% to 29.4%, but among those aged 12–17 years, overall use declined, from 14.4% to 13.1%. Underage alcohol use posted a slight decline from 2004, from 28.7% to 28.2%.

The most recent NSDUH was administered to nearly 68,000 persons in the United States. The survey is given in respondents' homes and excludes inmates, hospital patients, nursing home residents, military personnel, homeless not living in shelters, and persons younger than 12 years.

For the past 2 years, the survey has paid respondents $30 for participating; any influence this practice might have had on responses is not discussed in the report. The sampling for the survey also changed in 2005, from being based on census area segments to being based on census tracts.

WASHINGTON — Abuse of illegal drugs by young adults increased between 2004 and 2005, and drug abuse by adults in their 50s has climbed by nearly two-thirds over the last 4 years, according to survey data reported by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Moreover, the use of any illegal drug in the past year among those 65 years old or older nearly doubled during 2004–2005, from 0.9% to 1.7%, and the portion in the 60–64 age group reporting past-year drug abuse rose more than 50%, from 2.0 in 2004 to 3.2% in 2005, according to data from the 2005 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), formerly called the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse.

Despite these figures, abuse of most illegal drugs by minors dropped between 2004 and 2005, according to NSDUH data presented at a press briefing.

SAMHSA officials characterized the overall data as evidence that their programs have been successful. “The news today is there is a fundamental shift in drug use among young people in America,” acting deputy SAMHSA administrator Eric Broderick, D.D.S., said in a statement.

Still, persons in the 18- to 25-year-old age group had the greatest reported prevalence of drug use in 2005, the report noted.

From 2004 to 2005, the number of past-month users increased among young adults for almost all drugs. For these young adults, reported use of marijuana in the past month rose from 16.1% to 16.6%, according to the report. Similar small increases were noted in use of psychotherapeutics (from 6.1% to 6.3%), cocaine (2.1% to 2.6%), and inhalants (0.4% to 0.5%), whereas past-month use of hallucinogens remained at 1.5%. For all illicit drugs other than marijuana, the percentage of users in the past month in the 18–25 group rose between 2004 and 2005, from 8.1% to 8.8% of respondents.

Notably, self-reported use of any illicit drug among those aged 50–59 has risen each of the last 4 years, from under 3% in 2002 to more than 4% in 2005—an increase of 63%.

The NSDUH data do show some decreases in drug use. For persons aged 12–17 years, self-reported use of marijuana in the preceding month has dropped in each of the last 4 years; past-month marijuana use between 2004 and 2005 decreased from 7.6% to 6.8% of this middle-school and high-school age group.

Also, past-month illegal use of prescription psychotherapeutics among 12- to 17-year-olds decreased from 3.6% in 2004 to 3.3% in 2005, and past-month illegal use of inhalants and hallucinogens each remained the same, at 1.2% and 0.8%, respectively.

For cocaine use, however, there was a slight increase in past-month use in the 12–17 age group, from 0.5% to 0.6%.

For all persons queried in the NSDUH (aged 12 and older), the percentage indicating past-month use of marijuana dropped from 6.1% in 2004 to 6.0% last year; the number of persons of all ages who reported first-time use of methamphetamine in the previous year declined 40% between 2004 and 2005, from 318,000 to 192,000. That number had risen 22% between 2003 (260,000) and 2004.

Methamphetamine in particular saw a precipitous drop. For all ages, “lifetime methamphetamine use declined 19% since 2002 and dropped 12% in a single year, the 2004–2005 period,” John Walters, director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, noted at the briefing. The mean age at which marijuana was first used rose slightly from 17.1 years in 2004 to 17.4 years in 2005, compared with 17.0 years in 2002 and 16.8 years in 2003, he said.

Overall past-month tobacco use for all age groups increased slightly from 2004, from 29.2% to 29.4%, but among those aged 12–17 years, overall use declined, from 14.4% to 13.1%. Underage alcohol use posted a slight decline from 2004, from 28.7% to 28.2%.

The most recent NSDUH was administered to nearly 68,000 persons in the United States. The survey is given in respondents' homes and excludes inmates, hospital patients, nursing home residents, military personnel, homeless not living in shelters, and persons younger than 12 years.

For the past 2 years, the survey has paid respondents $30 for participating; any influence this practice might have had on responses is not discussed in the report. The sampling for the survey also changed in 2005, from being based on census area segments to being based on census tracts.

WASHINGTON — Abuse of illegal drugs by young adults increased between 2004 and 2005, and drug abuse by adults in their 50s has climbed by nearly two-thirds over the last 4 years, according to survey data reported by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Moreover, the use of any illegal drug in the past year among those 65 years old or older nearly doubled during 2004–2005, from 0.9% to 1.7%, and the portion in the 60–64 age group reporting past-year drug abuse rose more than 50%, from 2.0 in 2004 to 3.2% in 2005, according to data from the 2005 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), formerly called the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse.

Despite these figures, abuse of most illegal drugs by minors dropped between 2004 and 2005, according to NSDUH data presented at a press briefing.

SAMHSA officials characterized the overall data as evidence that their programs have been successful. “The news today is there is a fundamental shift in drug use among young people in America,” acting deputy SAMHSA administrator Eric Broderick, D.D.S., said in a statement.

Still, persons in the 18- to 25-year-old age group had the greatest reported prevalence of drug use in 2005, the report noted.

From 2004 to 2005, the number of past-month users increased among young adults for almost all drugs. For these young adults, reported use of marijuana in the past month rose from 16.1% to 16.6%, according to the report. Similar small increases were noted in use of psychotherapeutics (from 6.1% to 6.3%), cocaine (2.1% to 2.6%), and inhalants (0.4% to 0.5%), whereas past-month use of hallucinogens remained at 1.5%. For all illicit drugs other than marijuana, the percentage of users in the past month in the 18–25 group rose between 2004 and 2005, from 8.1% to 8.8% of respondents.

Notably, self-reported use of any illicit drug among those aged 50–59 has risen each of the last 4 years, from under 3% in 2002 to more than 4% in 2005—an increase of 63%.

The NSDUH data do show some decreases in drug use. For persons aged 12–17 years, self-reported use of marijuana in the preceding month has dropped in each of the last 4 years; past-month marijuana use between 2004 and 2005 decreased from 7.6% to 6.8% of this middle-school and high-school age group.

Also, past-month illegal use of prescription psychotherapeutics among 12- to 17-year-olds decreased from 3.6% in 2004 to 3.3% in 2005, and past-month illegal use of inhalants and hallucinogens each remained the same, at 1.2% and 0.8%, respectively.

For cocaine use, however, there was a slight increase in past-month use in the 12–17 age group, from 0.5% to 0.6%.

For all persons queried in the NSDUH (aged 12 and older), the percentage indicating past-month use of marijuana dropped from 6.1% in 2004 to 6.0% last year; the number of persons of all ages who reported first-time use of methamphetamine in the previous year declined 40% between 2004 and 2005, from 318,000 to 192,000. That number had risen 22% between 2003 (260,000) and 2004.

Methamphetamine in particular saw a precipitous drop. For all ages, “lifetime methamphetamine use declined 19% since 2002 and dropped 12% in a single year, the 2004–2005 period,” John Walters, director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, noted at the briefing. The mean age at which marijuana was first used rose slightly from 17.1 years in 2004 to 17.4 years in 2005, compared with 17.0 years in 2002 and 16.8 years in 2003, he said.

Overall past-month tobacco use for all age groups increased slightly from 2004, from 29.2% to 29.4%, but among those aged 12–17 years, overall use declined, from 14.4% to 13.1%. Underage alcohol use posted a slight decline from 2004, from 28.7% to 28.2%.

The most recent NSDUH was administered to nearly 68,000 persons in the United States. The survey is given in respondents' homes and excludes inmates, hospital patients, nursing home residents, military personnel, homeless not living in shelters, and persons younger than 12 years.

For the past 2 years, the survey has paid respondents $30 for participating; any influence this practice might have had on responses is not discussed in the report. The sampling for the survey also changed in 2005, from being based on census area segments to being based on census tracts.