NCJ Number
208334
Date Published
August 2004
Length
572 pages
Annotation
This first volume of a two-volume report on the results of the national survey of drug use and related attitudes and beliefs among American adults and youth presents the results from secondary school samples of 8th, 10th, and 12 graders for the years 1975-2003.
Abstract
The survey procedures for high school seniors and 8th and 10th graders were similar, with the major exception being that four forms were used with the 8th and 10th graders, and six forms were used with seniors. The sample sizes were 16,500 for 8th graders, 15,800 for 10th graders, and 14,600 for 12th graders. In addition to measuring lifetime, annual, and 30-day use of a range of illegal drugs and prescription drugs, the use of alcohol and tobacco products was also examined. The study reports that by the end of the 8th grade, 30 percent of American youth have tried an illicit drug, including inhalants; and by 12th grade, 53 percent have done so. In addition to the historical trends in drug use by secondary school students, the prevalence and frequency of drug use in 2003 are addressed. Distinctions are made among important demographic subgroups in the secondary school population based on gender, college plans, region of the country, population density, parents' education, and race/ethnicity. Data on grade at first drug use, trends in use at lower grade levels, and the intensity of drug use are reported in separate chapters. Since key attitudes and beliefs about the use of various drugs have been shown by the surveys to be important determinants of trends in use over time, they are tracked over time, as are students' perceptions of certain relevant aspects of the social environment, notably perceived availability, peer norms, use by friends, and exposure to use. Extensive tables and figures, 5 appendixes of supplemental tables and trends in subclasses of particular classes of drugs, and an index of drugs