Trends in Initiation of Drug/Alcohol Use

Marijuana

The estimated annual number of new marijuana users has declined from 2.6 million in 1996 to about 2.0 million in 1999. This was preceded by a period of significant increase from 1990 (1.4 million new users) to 1996.

In 1965, there were an estimated 0.5 million new users of marijuana. The annual number of marijuana initiates increased until reaching a peak in 1976-77 (two years before the past month prevalence rate among youth peaked in 1979) at around 3.2 million new users per year. After that, the number of initiates declined to 1.4 million in 1990 (two years before the youth past month prevalence rate reached a low point in 1992) and then increased again to 2.6 million in 1996, a recent high point.

Youths aged 12 to17 have constituted about two-thirds of the new users of marijuana in recent years, with young adults aged 18 to 25 constituting most of the remaining third. Recent rates of new use among youth in 1996-1998 (averaging 86.4 initiates per 1000 potential new users) were higher than they have ever been. Rates of new use for both youth and young adults decreased between 1998 and 1999 (from 85.2 to 73.0, and from 44.1 to 31.7, respectively) (Figure 5.1).

The average age of initiation of marijuana use in 1999 was 17.0 years. Since 1992, the average age has ranged from 16.5 to 17.4. The average age of marijuana initiates has generally declined since 1965; during 1965-1969 it ranged from 19.0 to 20.4 years of age, and during 1970-1991 it ranged from 17.4 to 19.2 years of age.

Cocaine
Psychotherapeutics (nonmedical use of pharmaceutical drugs)
Alcohol
Other Substances

Source: SAMHSA 1999 NHSDA.

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"In the United States, approximately three-fourths of all deaths among persons aged 10--24 years result from only four causes: motor-vehicle crashes, other unintentional injuries, homicide, and suicide. Results from the 1999 national Youth Risk Behavior Survey demonstrate that numerous high school students engage in behaviors that increase their likelihood of death from these four causes...[including alcohol and illicit drug use]" Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), Centers for Disease Control, Risk Youth Behavior Surveillance.