Drug Abuse Statistics

As estimated 21.8 million Americans (8.7%) aged 12 or older were current (past month) users of illicit drugs in 2009, meaning they used an illicit drug within the month before taking the survey. This is an increase of 9% from 20.1 million in 2008 (8.0%). *quoted from www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov

• General Trends
• Cocaine
• Ecstasy
• Marijuana
• Heroin

For more graphs, see: http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/drugfact/key_findings.html

Cocaine/Crack

Cocaine use can lead to death from respiratory (breathing) failure, stroke, cerebral hemorrhage (bleeding in the brain) or heart attack.

Crack, the most potent form in which cocaine appears, is also the riskiest. It is between 75% and 100% pure, far stronger and more potent than regular cocaine.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cocaine

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crack_cocaine

http://www.drugfreeworld.org/drugfacts/cocaine.html

http://www.drugfreeworld.org/drugfacts/crackcocaine.html

http://www.nida.nih.gov/Infofacts/cocaine.html - Facts, Trends, Reports.

Ecstasy

The UN Office on Drugs and Crime estimates Ecstasy users to number approximately 9 million . worldwide. The vast majority of users are teenagers and young adults

So widespread has been the harm of this “designer drug,” that emergency room incidents have skyrocketed more than 1,200% since Ecstasy became the “club drug” of choice at all-night “rave” parties and dance clubs.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MDMA

http://www.drugfreeworld.org/drugfacts/ecstasy.html

http://www.drugfreeworld.org/drugfacts/crystalmeth.html

http://www.nida.nih.gov/infofacts/ecstasy.html - Facts, Trends, Reports.

Marijuana

Marijuana is the most commonly used illegal drug in the world. A survey conducted in 2007 found that 14.4 million individuals in the US alone had smoked marijuana at least once during the previous month.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannabis_%28drug%29

http://www.drugfreeworld.org/drugfacts/marijuana.html

http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/drugfact/marijuana/index.html

http://www.nida.nih.gov/MarijBroch/MarijparentsN.html - Facts Parents Need to Know

http://www.nida.nih.gov/infofacts/marijuana.html - Facts, Trends, Reports.

Heroin

Heroin users are at high risk for addiction—it is estimated that about 23 percent of individuals who use heroin become dependent on it.

According to the 2008 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, the number of current (past-month) heroin users aged 12 or older in the United States increased from 153,000 in 2007 to 213,000 in 2008. There were 114,000 first-time users of heroin aged 12 or older in 2008.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heroin

http://www.drugfreeworld.org/drugfacts/heroin.html - Facts Parents Need to Know

http://www.nida.nih.gov/infofacts/heroin.html - Facts, Trends, Reports.