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Health Status > Adolescents
SUBSTANCE ABUSE
Prevalence and Incidence. In
2003, 11.2 percent of adolescents ages 12 to 17 years reported using
illicit drugs in the past month. The use of illicit drugs within
the past month increased with age. Among 12- to 13-year-olds, 3.8
percent reported past-month use, compared to 19.2 percent of 16-
to 17-year-olds. Rates of past-month illicit drug use were similar
among non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black, and Hispanic adolescents
(ranging from 9.6 to 11.8 percent); American Indian/Alaska Native
adolescents had the highest rate of past-month use among 12- to
17-year-olds (19.6 percent), while Asian adolescents had the lowest
(6.5 percent).
Alcohol is the most commonly used drug among
adolescents, with almost 18 percent of 12- to 17-year-olds reporting
past-month use in 2003. Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit
drug (7.9 percent), followed by the nonmedical use of prescription
psychotherapeutic drugs, such as pain relievers, tranquilizers,
and stimulants (4.0 percent). Marijuana use is more common among
male adolescents than their female counterparts (8.6 versus 7.2
percent), while prescription drug abuse is more common among females
(4.2 versus 3.7 percent).
In 2003, 48.4 percent of 12- to 17-year-olds who smoked cigarettes
in the past month also used an illicit drug, compared to only 6.1
percent of adolescents who didn’t smoke.
Perception of Risk and Access to Drugs.
In 2003, 34.9 percent of adolescents perceived smoking
marijuana once a month as a great risk, while 51.4 percent perceived
the same risk regarding cocaine use. Smoking one pack of cigarettes
a day was considered a great risk by 64.2 percent of adolescents.
Among those youths who perceived marijuana as a great risk, 1.8
percent admitted to using the drug within the past month; however,
among youths who perceived it as a moderate, slight, or nonexistent
risk, 11.2 percent reported marijuana use in the past 30 days.
In 2003, almost 54 percent of teens reported
that marijuana would be fairly or very easy to obtain. The same
was reported by 25.0 percent of youths for cocaine, 17.6 percent
for LSD, and 15.3 percent for heroin. Just over 16 percent of adolescents
reported being approached by someone selling drugs in the past month.
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Bar Chart: Past Month Drug Use Among Adolescents Ages 12-17:
2003
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