| Show 1999 have not changed significantly since 19942 Trends for marijuana use were similar to the trends for general ilicit drug use There were no significant changes between 1998 and 1999 for any of the four age groups but an increasing trend since 1997 among young adults age 18-25 years anddecreasing trend since 1997 for youth age 12-17 years can be observed An estimated8 million 8 percent Americans age 12 and older were current users of cocaine in 1998 An estimated1 millon people met diagnostic criteria for dependence on licit drugs in 1997 and 1998 including1 million youth age 12-17 Trends in New Use of Substances Incidence Trends in incidence for several other llcit drugs as well as tobacco suggestcontinuing and potentially growing problem innumber of areas For example the age at which rates of use reachpeak is pinpointed more precisely in 1999 Peak age of prevalence was found to be 19 and 20 for marijuana use 18 for hallucinogen use 20 for cigarette use and 21 for alcohol use An estimated1 milion persons first used marijuana in 1997 This translates to about800 new marijuana users per day The rate of first use of marijuana among youth age 12-17 declined significantly from 79 per thousand potential new users in 1996 to 64 per thousand potential new users in 1997 The youth incidence rate was stable from 1994 to 1996 In 1997 an estimated 81 000 persons used heroin for the first time and 730 000 used cocaine for the first time There were an estimated1 million new hallucinogen users and1 millon people began smoking cigarettes daily More than half of these new smokers were under age 18 which transiates to more than000 new youth smokers per day Differing rates of use are more clearly distinguished for specific age groups such as the relatively high rate of illicit drug use and dependence in the 40-44 year old age group that experienced its teen years during the 1970s Full time students were found to have higher rates of binge and heavy alcohol use lower rate of cigarette use andsimilar rate of ilicit drug use when compared with their non-college peers More precise estimates for raciallethnic groups make it possible to show that American Indian Alaska Natives have the highest rate of use of ilicit drugs and cigarettes National estimates show that illicit drug use overall is less prevalent in rural areas than in cigarette use metropolitan areas but particularly among youth higher in rural areas than in metropolitan areas Educ ion Iliit drug use rates have an inverse relationship with educational status Among young adults age 26-34 years old in 1998 those who had not completed high school had the highest rate of current use 8 percent while college graduates had the lowest rate of use 8 percent This is despite the fact that young adults at different educational levels are equally as likely to have tried illicit drugs in their lfetime 49percent of those not completing high school and 47percent of college graduates age 26-34 years Employment Current employment status is also highly correlated with rates of llicit drug use An estimated 18percent of unemployed adults age 18 and older were current ilicit drug users in 1998 compared with4 percent of full-ime employed adults Although the rate of drug use is higher among the unemployed most drug users are employed Of the 11million adult illicit drug users 3 million 73 percent were employed either full time or part time Age and Gender Rates of drug use show substantial variation by age Among youth age 12-13 9 percent were currentillicit drug users The highest rates were found among young people ages 16-17 16percent age 18-20 19percent and age 2125 13percent The rates of use generally decline in each successively older age group with only7 percent of persons age 50 and older reporting current ilicit use In 1998 nearly half of young adults age 21-29 had tried ilicit drugs at least once in their lifetime and 10percent were current users 111 Digital image 2005 Marriott Library University of Utah Al rights reserved |
