Trends in Initiation of Drug/Alcohol Use

Other Substances

Heroin

There were an estimated 104,000 new users of heroin in 1999. This number of new initiates is similar to the number in 1998 (140,000). Comparisons for youth and young adults show no statistically significant difference between the 1998 and 1999 numbers of new initiates. The number of new initiates among those aged 18 to 25 (53,000) was larger than the number among those aged 12 to 17 (34,000), as has been the historic pattern.

Hallucinogens

In 1998, the estimated number of new users of hallucinogens (including LSD and PCP) was 1.2 million, which is the highest estimate since 1965. The number of new users in 1999 (1.4 million) appears to be even higher than in 1998, but this increase is not statistically significant. The estimated number of new users among youths aged 12 to 17 (669,000) and young adults aged 18 to 25 (604,000) in 1999 are similar to the all-time high numbers of initiates in 1998.

Inhalants

In 1999, the estimated number of new users of inhalants was 1.0 million, not significantly different than the estimates for 1998 (918,000) or 1997 (975,000). However, these estimates are the highest annual number of inhalant initiates since 1965.

Cigarettes

The incidence rate for cigarette use among youth aged 12 to 17 decreased between 1998 and 1999, from 141.4 to 120.0 persons per 1,000 potential new users. The numbers and rates among young adults aged 18 to 25 remained stable between 1998 and 1999. The overall annual number of persons who first tried a cigarette had increased between 1991 and 1996 from about 2.4 million to 3.4 million, then decreased to 2.9 million in 1998 (Figure 5.3).

The average age at first use of cigarettes was 15.4 years in 1998. While there have been some fluctuations, the average age has generally changed very little since 1965, ranging only from 14.9 to 16.2.

Marijuana
Cocaine
Psychotherapeutics (nonmedical use of pharmaceutical drugs)
Alcohol

Source: SAMHSA 1999 NHSDA.

Back to Drug Abuse Statistics

---

"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.