General Drug Information

Peniel Presents Facts You Should Know About Drug Use in America

General Facts:

More than 23 million Americans use illicit drugs.

Over 6.5 million Americans are severely dependent users of heroin, other opiates, amphetamines, and cocaine.

The use and abuse of illicit drugs frequently leads to teen pregnancy, HIV/AIDS/STD transmission, child abuse, and other social problems.

Persons who abuse alcohol or other drugs use two and one half times the medical benefits of non-abusers.

If alcohol were never used carelessly in our society, approximately 100,000 fewer people would die annually.

In Pennsylvania, 70 percent of the state’s criminal offenders are addicted to drugs and alcohol, and their criminal activity is directly related to their addiction.

About two in every five Americans will be involved in an alcohol-related crash at some time in their lives.

Each year 534,000 people suffer injuries in alcohol-related crashes, an average of one every minute.

Studies indicate that 80-90% of the people who are in recovery for alcohol and drug abuse actively use tobacco and are addicted to nicotine, compared to 25% of the general public.

Nicotine addiction is a very deadly addiction with more people dying each year from tobacco- related illnesses than from automobile accidents, AIDS, suicide, and drug overdoses combined.

It is estimated that 17% of Americans age 55 or older have either alcohol or drug problems or both.

New studies indicate that people who quit smoking and other substances at the same time have higher recovery rates than those who continue to smoke.

Illicit Drug Use Can Lead To Dependence

Certain drugs such as opiates, barbiturates, alcohol, and nicotine create physical dependence.

With prolonged use of these drugs, they become a part of the body’s chemistry.

Regular users of drugs develop what is known as drug tolerance, which is a need to take larger doses to achieve initial effects.

When a regular user stops taking the drug, the body experiences a trauma known as withdrawal.

Among children, dependence erodes school performance and can destroy ties to family and friends.

Dependent users normally abandon outside interests, values, and goals.

The Drug Culture and Its Effects on Youth

Americans consistently identify drug use as being one of the major problems confronting this nation’s school systems.

Drug use among young people is ten times more prevalent than parents suspect.

Drug use among young people is not confined to specific geographical areas or any certain economic background.

Although the drug trade is controlled by adults, the immediate source of drugs for most students is other students.

Easy access and availability of alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drugs make it difficult to keep young people out of harm ’s way.

Young people who smoke tobacco are more likely than others to drink heavily later on or use drugs.Successfully keeping young people from smoking may help to prevent the use of other drugs.

Young people who use alcohol or drugs are more likely to become victims or perpetrators of violence.

Young people who use alcohol or drugs are more likely to engage in unplanned and unprotected sex.

Young people who use alcohol and drugs are more likely to experience school failure.

Young people who use alcohol and drugs are more likely to be seriously injured from driving or engaging in other risky behaviors.

According to the 1998 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, twenty-five percent of youth ages 16 and 17 had used marijuana in the previous year.

By age 13, half of the nation’s teens say they can buy marijuana, and 43 percent say they can buy acid, cocaine, and heroin.

Fewer young people see harm in using drugs. (This fact is very alarming since understanding the dangers of drug use is one of the greatest deterrents of its use by young people.)

Drug use is closely tied to our young people being truant and dropping out of school.

The United States has the highest rate of teenage drug use of any nation in the industrialized world.

Fifty-seven percent of youth contacting a national cocaine hotline revealed that most all drugs, except for alcohol, are purchased at school.

Twenty-eight percent of marijuana users said they have smoked marijuana at school.

Alcohol, Illicit Drugs, and High School Seniors

Fifty-four percent of high school seniors have tried an illicit drug by the time they have graduated.

By their senior year, ninety-two percent of students in the class of 1988 had used alcohol.

Sixty-four percent of seniors surveyed admitted using alcohol in the month prior to being surveyed.

Thirty-three percent of seniors reported using marijuana in the past year.

Eighteen percent of seniors said they had used marijuana at least once in the last month.

Thirty-five percent of seniors surveyed reported at least one occasion of heavy drinking in the two weeks prior to being surveyed. (Heavy drinking is defined as an occasion where they had five or more drinks in a row.)

Seventeen percent of seniors reported that they have used cocaine at least once in their lifetime.

Eight percent of seniors admitted using cocaine in the last year.

Seven percent of seniors admitted using cocaine within the last thirty days.

Five percent of all seniors have used crack.

Of the seniors who used amphetamines during the past year, fifty-three percent reported having taken them at school.

Thirty-five percent of seniors reported heavy drinking, being defined as five or more drinks in a row, on one occasion.

Two-thirds of America’s high school seniors are occasional users of alcohol.New research confirms that even a few days of binge drinking can kill brain cells.

Alarming Statistics: Drug and Alcohol Abuse in Elementary Schools

Fifty-eight percent of sixth grade children report peer pressure to try cigarettes.

Fifty-one percent of sixth grade children report peer pressure to try beer, wine, or liquor.

Forty-six percent feel pressured to try wine coolers.

Thirty-three percent have felt peer pressure to use marijuana.

Thirty-two percent of America’s elementary school age children have reported being pressured to use cocaine/crack.

Twenty-six percent of fourth graders have used alcohol.

Forty-two percent of sixth graders have used alcohol. The number of students using drugs by the sixth grade has more than tripled since 1975.

Elementary children begin taking drugs to feel good.

Once they become dependent, they take them to keep from feeling bad.

Over time the use of the drug heightens the bad feelings and can leave the user suicidal.

More than half of all adolescent suicides are drug-related.

According to the Partnership for a Drug Free America, in grades 7-12, one child in five has tried sniffing fumes of legal household goods.

Among 12-year-olds, inhalants are the most frequently used illicit substance.

Twenty-one percent of all eighth graders have tried some form of inhalants.

Huffing is one of the most dangerous drug experiments children will ever try; it literally cuts off the brain’s oxygen supply.

Sudden Sniffing Death Syndrome is the most common cause of death from inhalant abuse.

Nearly fifty-nine percent of children are 12 years old or younger when they first realize their friends are using inhalants.

Seventy-seven percent of eighth grade students have tried alcohol, and of these, fifty-five percent report first trying it by grade 6.

Thirty-four percent of eighth grade students report having had an alcoholic beverage in the last month.

Twenty-six percent of these report having had five or more drinks on at least one occasion during the past two weeks.

Thirteen percent of eighth grade students report using a combination of alcohol and drugs on one or more occasion during the past month.Fifteen percent of all eighth grade students report having tried marijuana, and of these, 44 percent report first using it by grade 6.

Six percent of eighth graders report having used marijuana during the past month.

Five percent of eighth graders report having used cocaine during the past month.

More Information about Illicit Drugs and Their Use

Drugs can interfere with memory, sensation, and perception. Drugs interfere with the brain’s ability to take in, sort, and process information. Research shows that severe psychological damage such as paranoia and psychosis occurs when marijuana contains two percent THC, which is its major psychoactive ingredient. Since 1980, practically all marijuana contains four to six percent THC.

Five Reasons People Give For Using Drugs or Alcohol

1. To Feel Grown Up

2. To Fit in and to Belong

3. To Relax and to Feel Good

4. To Take Risks and to Rebel

5. To Satisfy Curiosity

Drug Use Knows No Boundaries

All regions and all types of communities show high levels of drug use.

Thirty-four percent of non-metropolitan area high school seniors reported illicit drug use in the previous year.

Thirty-nine percent of metropolitan area seniors reported illicit drug use in the previous year.

Though males are more likely to be involved in illicit drug use, especially heavy drug use, the gap between the genders is closing.

The extent at which high school seniors reported having used illicit drugs is slightly higher for whites than for blacks.

568,000 people age 55 or older used illegal drugs during the month of March 2002.

Of 400 women surveyed, thirty-nine percent said the inability to admit that the problem was severe enough to warrant treatment was the number one barrier to getting help. A lack of emotional support for treatment from family members was second with thirty-two percent. And third, at twenty-eight percent, was the inability to provide adequate child-care while in treatment.

Nationwide, forty to fifty percent of addicted adults are women, yet women comprise only thirty percent of treatment spots.

New research shows that men who are exposed to combat are more likely to become dependent on alcohol and other drugs than civilians are.

The need for substance abuse treatment for older Americans is expected to nearly triple by 2020.

By race/ethnicity, past month marijuana use was 4.4% for Black youth, 5.2% for Hispanics, and 6.8% for Whites.

Among 12 to17 year-olds, past month marijuana use (6.4 % overall ) ranged by region from 5.9% in the South, 6.5% in the Northeast, 6.7% in the North Central, to 7 percent in the West.

Frightening Statistics about Pregnant Women and Drug / Alcohol Use

It is estimated that fifteen percent of women of child-bearing age are substance abusers. Approximately 34 million pregnant women consume alcohol. More than 18 million of those women are cigarette smokers. More than six million pregnant women are currently cigarette smokers. Forty-four percent of pregnant women who use illicit drugs have used marijuana. Of the pregnant women who use illicit drugs, fourteen percent have used cocaine. Thirty-six hospitals across the country, which represented 155,000 pregnancies annually, found that, on an average, eleven percent of pregnant women used heroin, methadone, amphetamines, PCP, marijuana, and cocaine.

Youth and Alcohol: A Deadly Combination

Alcohol is the number one drug problem among youth. Alcohol is easily available, widely accepted, and extensively promoted within our society, making alcohol the most used and abused drug in America. By the time a young person reaches eighteen years of age, two out of three will be occasional users of alcohol. By age eighteen, one in twenty youths will be daily users. Four out of ten seniors will be considered heavy drinkers, consuming five or more drinks in a row at least once every two weeks. Alcohol-related highway accidents are the principal cause of death among young people ages fifteen to twenty-four. Nearly half of all youth deaths by drowning, fires, suicide, and homicide are alcohol-related. Early alcohol use is associated with subsequent alcohol dependence as well as social and health- related problems. Nearly 1,500 college students die each year in alcohol-related unintentional injuries.

The Effects of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs on the Unborn

An estimated one of every ten babies born in America suffers consequences from the mother’s use of illicit drugs. Alcohol is a major cause of birth defects and mental retardation in the United States. The yearly cost to care for those affected is estimated at over $300 million. Research shows that the effects of drug use on infants at birth are milder if the women who were using drugs and/or alcohol, break their addiction during pregnancy.

Startling Facts Concerning Today’s Drugs

Designer Drugs, chemical variations of existing illegal drugs, are known to possibly cause permanent brain damage with a single dose. Marijuana produced today is from five to twenty times stronger than that of ten years ago. The hacking and sniffing of easily accessible household items such as spray paint, video head cleaner, and gasoline, to name just a few, may cause unconsciousness, brain damage, and sudden death. Misuse of cough syrups containing dextromethrophan (DXM) is increasingly on the rise. The misuse of this drug mimics the euphoric and hallucinogenic effects of Ecstasy. A new form of metamphetamine called Ya Ba, considered as more powerful and dangerous, has recently become the most popular fad of the underground dance club scenes.

Alcohol and Its Devastating Effects on Adults

Nearly half of all convicted jail inmates were under the influence of alcohol at the time of their offense. Alcohol is involved in an estimated forty-five to sixty percent of reported incidents of domestic violence. Forty percent of family court cases included at least one person who was consuming alcohol. Driving while intoxicated is the most frequently prosecuted crime in America with nearly 1.5 million cases nationally. Repeat offenders account for nearly twenty-five percent of DWI/DUI offenses. One in ten persons in the work force is affected by alcoholism. Nearly half of all violent deaths are alcohol-relatedVictims are intoxicated in about one-third of all drowning, boating, and aviation deaths. One-fourth of all suicide victims were found to have been intoxicated.Eighteen percent of all college students are heavy drinkers. (averaging 2+ drinks a day.) Some 45 percent of college students are binge drinkers. (having at least five drinks per occasion every two weeks.) Alcohol is over twice as popular among college students as the next leading drug, marijuana, and over five times as popular as cocaine. A child will see alcohol consumed an average of 75,000 times on TV before he or she is of legal drinking age.

Cocaine/Crack: Robbing America

Cocaine use is the fastest growing drug problem in America. This rapid rise is attributed to the purified and more potent form of cocaine called crack or rock. Crack is extremely addictive, far more addictive than either heroin or barbiturates. Because crack is smoked, it is quickly absorbed into the bloodstream, which then produces a feeling of extreme euphoria. This effect peaks in seconds and leaves the user desiring more. Repeated use of crack can lead to addiction within a few days. Once addicted, users may turn to crimes such as stealing, prostitution, robbery, and drug dealing to support their habit. Crack use leads to psychological disorders, which can produce violent behaviors and psychotic states similar to schizophrenia. Crack is deadly. Cocaine use in any form can cause sudden death from cardiac arrest or respiratory failure.Because cocaine acts directly on what are known as the pleasure centers of the brain, the use of this drug in any of its forms produces an intense desire to experience the pleasurable effects again and again. An April 2002 article in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that thirty-eight percent of the cocaine-exposed children in its study had mild or greater mental delays than those not exposed. The same study revealed that fourteen percent of those children tested had mental development scores in the mental retardation range by age two. Researchers have found that in a study using laboratory mice infected with HIV, those mice which are given injections of cocaine have 200 times as much of the AIDS-causing virus in their bloodstreams as those which were injected with placebos.

Cases of Heroin, Ecstasy, Oxycontin, and Synthetic Drug Use are on the Rise with America’s Youth

New research suggests that pain relievers such as Oxycontin could lead to heroin use if not taken according to the recommended dosage. The U. S. Customs Office released figures that showed a rise of astounding proportions in the amount of Ecstasy coming into the United States. In 1999 Customs seized 3.5 million Ecstasy tablets. That figure jumped to an alarming 9.3 million tablets in 2000. 2001 figures are running at figures equal to those of 2000. In 1989 twenty-two percent of twelfth graders said they could get Ecstasy very easily. This number increased to forty percent in 1999 and to fifty-one percent in 2000. The U. S. Military said drug testing by both the Air Force, Army, and Navy in 2001 indicated that Ecstasy use had increased by 12 times from what it was in 1999. Recent reports show that Afghanistan is once again the top producer of opium, which is used for heroin.

Economically Speaking:

• Did you know that according to the National Coalition of Alcohol and Drugs, the total cost to the U. S. of substance abuse is estimated to be approximately $166 billion dollars per year?

• Did you know that one out of every ten Americans (76 million people) is affected by alcoholism in their families?

• The age when people start using drugs is getting younger and younger.

• In an average week, Americans drink 2.3 billion alcoholic drinks; smoke 8.25 billion cigarettes; take 20 million antidepressants; and pop 1 million tabs of Ecstasy.

• The total cost of drug abuse to society rose at approximately a six percent annual rate between 1992 and 2000.

Methamphetamine Addiction: Speed Still Kills

In 1994 it was estimated that 3.8 million people had tried methamphetamine in their lives. A survey done in 2002 shows that this figure has risen dramatically to 8.8 million lifetime users. Fifty-three percent of methamphetamine users are male, while 47 percent are female. The age group most affected by methamphetamine use are those from ages 20 to 40. There are a large and growing number of young methamphetamine users between the ages of 15 to 20. Those seduced by its powerful, mind-altering effects die from violent acts, suicide, and accidents. While cocaine, a close relative in the stimulant family, must be smuggled into the country, methamphetamine can be produced in a bathroom, kitchen, or even in the back of a moving van which can act as a roving laboratory. Methamphetamines may be administered in a number of ways to achieve the desired drug effect. They may be taken orally, may be snorted or smoked, and may also be injected intravenously.

Drugs Don’t Pay

Fifty-five percent of the 128,000 sentenced inmates in federal prisons in 2002 were convicted of trafficking, drug possession, or other drug offenses.

The Bush Administration has asked Congress for $2.5 billion for fiscal year 2004 to fund substance abuse programs.

A $65 million Federal funding grant has been approved that will allow convicts to apply for substance abuse treatment after they leave the penal system.

The following sources were used in compiling this Information Guide; (1) Counselor, August 2003 Vol. 4; (2) Counselor, June 2002 Vol. 3; (3) Counselor, February 2002 Vol. 3; (4) Counselor, February 2003 Vol. 4; (5) Counselor, August 2002 Vol. 3; (6) Counselor, October 2002; (7) Counselor, June 2003 Vol. 4; (8) The Gallup Youth Surveys, 1987 and 1988; (9) 20th Annual Gallup Poll of the Public’s Attitudes Toward Public Schools, 1988; (10) Journal of Drug Education, Vol. 15(4), 1985; (11) University of Michigan, Institute for Social Research, 1987(and unpublished information); (12) A Handbook for parents and professionals, PANDAA Press, 1986; (13) Alcohol Consumption and Related Problems. NIAAA, Alcohol and Health Monograph 1, 1982; (14) National Trends in Drug Use and Related Factors Among American High School Students and Young Adults. NIDA: Department of Health and Human Services, (ADM-871519) Rockville, MD; (15) Health, United States, 1980. National Center for Health Statistics, (PHS 81-1232) December 1980; (16) National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information: “Facts Sheet: Selected Statistics on Alcohol and Alcoholism,” June 1987. Rockville, MD; (17) “A Study of Children’s Attitudes about Drugs and Alcohol.” Weekly Reader Publications: Middletown, CT. April 25, 1983; (18) Drug Use Among American High School Students, College Students, and Other Young Adults: National Trends Through 1986. Rockville, MD; (19) National Institute on Drug Abuse, 1987; (20) National Survey on Drug Abuse: Main Findings, 1982, Rockville, MD; (21) Delinquency in the United States, 1982. Pittsburgh, PA; (22) National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, 1985; (23) Journal of Drug Education, Vol. 15(4), 1985. (24) U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Alcohol; (25) Drug Abuse and Mental Health Administration, Rockville, MD; (26) Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Office of the Surgeon General, Rockville, MD.