NCJ Number
165201
Date Published
1983
Length
44 pages
Annotation
The 1982 National Survey on Drug Abuse gathered information from 5,000 randomly selected persons age 12 and over and focused on the prevalence of lifetime and current use of specific drugs.
Abstract
Results revealed that marijuana continues to be the most widespread and frequently used illicit drug in the country today. Early marijuana use predicts later involvement with the drug. The majority of young current users purchase their own supplies. In addition, the typical drug use career has three distinct stages: (1) alcohol and cigarette use, (2) marijuana use, and (3) use of illicit drugs other than marijuana. Many of these who try a particular drug do not continue beyond experimental or very occasional use, and they often do not proceed to the next stage of drug use. Alcohol is the most widely used drug in the country; the majority of young adults and older adults report use during the past month. Cigarettes are tried at early ages, often before the teen years, but current use of cigarettes is not the norm in any age group. Twenty-eight percent of young adults ages 18-25 have used cocaine, 21 percent have tried a hallucinogen, and 28 percent have taken a prescription drug for nonmedical purposes. Tables, figures, glossary, and 9 references