Statistics
Results from SAMHSA's 2007 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: National Findings
- In 2007, 9.5 percent of youths aged 12 to 17 were current illicit drug users: 6.7 percent used marijuana, 3.3 percent engaged in nonmedical use of prescription-type psychotherapeutics, 1.2 percent used inhalants, 0.7 percent used hallucinogens, and 0.4 percent used cocaine.
- Marijuana was the most commonly used illicit drug (14.4 million past month users). In 2007, marijuana was used by 72.8 percent of current illicit drug users and was the only drug used by 53.3 percent of them. Illicit drugs other than marijuana were used by 9.3 million persons or 46.7 percent of illicit drug users aged 12 or older.
Current use - At least one drink in the past 30 days.
Binge use - Five or more drinks on the same occasion (i.e., at the same time or within a couple of hours of each other) on at least 1 day in the past 30 days.
Heavy use - Five or more drinks on the same occasion on each of 5 or more days in the past 30 days.
- Slightly more than half of Americans aged 12 or older reported being current drinkers of alcohol in the 2007 survey (51.1 percent). This translates to an estimated 126.8 million people, which is similar to the 2006 estimate of 125.3 million people (50.9 percent).
- More than one fifth (23.3 percent) of persons aged 12 or older participated in binge drinking at least once in the 30 days prior to the survey in 2007. This translates to about 57.8 million people. The rate in 2007 is similar to the rate in 2006 (23.0 percent).
- In 2007, heavy drinking was reported by 6.9 percent of the population aged 12 or older, or 17.0 million people. This percentage is the same as the rate of heavy drinking in 2006 (6.9 percent).
Binge use - Five or more drinks on the same occasion (i.e., at the same time or within a couple of hours of each other) on at least 1 day in the past 30 days.
- Among persons aged 12 or older in 2007 who used pain relievers nonmedically in the past 12 months, 56.5 percent said they got the pain relievers they most recently used from a friend or relative for free.
- In 2007, 44.3 percent of past year methamphetamine users aged 12 or older reported that they obtained the methamphetamine they used most recently from a friend or relative for free.