Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Rise in Illicit Drug Use From 2008 to 2010

According to a study conducted by SAMHSA, the use of illicit drugs among Americans has increased from 2008 to 2010.  The study showed that 8.9 percent of Americans ages 12 and older were current illicit drug users.  The rate of use in 2010 was similar to the rate in 2009 (8.7 percent), but remained above the 8.0 percent rate from 2008.

Another disturbing trend that they found is the continuing rise in the rate of current illicit drug use among young adults ages 18 to 25, from 19.6 percent in 2008, to 21.2 percent in 2009, and 21.5 percent in 2010.

SAMHSA generates its study results through The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), which is conducted annually with approximately 67,500 participants ages 12 and older throughout the United States.