Drug Abuse Statistics

Drug abuse statistics are a way of highlighting the current severity of the escalating seriousness of people’s drug dependency and even complete addiction in today\'s society. One of the things that these statistics accomplish is to show the relative ease in which the drugs are made available, as well as being able to point out a very serious need for drug abuse facilities, as well as drug treatments. Unfortunately there is a direct correlation between the statistics and the trends felt in the United States with regard to child abuse as well as domestic violence.

The National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) in conjunction with the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research has given out a survey called Monitoring the Future, better known as MTF, once a year to learn about drug use within students in the 12th grade. In 1991 it was expanded and now includes 8th and 10th graders. The drug abuse statistics now comprise those in the lower grades as well.

The past month, past year and lifetime use of any illicit drug leaving out marijuana use has declined significantly in 2007 through 2008. It was found that cigarette smoking fell and even continues to fall. It is now at the lowest rate within the history of the survey. The use of stimulants also declined such as amphetamine use, and so has “ice” crystal methamphetamine usage shown a decline. Alcohol use also showed a decline.

Drug abuse statistics however show that marijuana use materialized as having leveled off. The amount of prescription drugs, such as the non-medical use of amphetamines, sedatives, barbiturates, tranquilizers, and other opiates, other than heroin continue to be abused especially in the 12th grades. Even the use of the over the counter cough medicine Vicodin is being abused at a high unacceptable rate. And of course now Vicodin is found for sale all over the Internet with suppliers saying over and over again that there is no prescription required. How strong the Vicodin is, and what the repercussions of taking it are left to speculation.

Drug abuse statistics often also include the perceived risk of harm associated with different drugs in their questionnaires. Thus this leaves us knowing how the perceived risk of harm changes the eventual possible abuse of any drug. Among the 12th graders who answered the questionnaire the perceived risk of harm linked to LSD continued to decrease thus the NIDA has felt that LSD will become more and more involved with drug abuse.

Regarding the 8th graders, perceived harmfulness as well as those that disapproved of marijuana and inhalants actually become softer, showing that the use of these drugs will also rise.

It is hoped that the United States Government sees the desperate need we have to stop drug abuse of any kind, in order to reduce the crimes that touch each of us that are directly related to drug abuse as shown in drug abuse statistics.

I wrote a guide you may be interested in reading: alcohol facts and signs of alcoholism

Drug Abuse Statistics

statistics for drug abuse

Drug Abuse Statistics

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