The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) Information Clearinghouse has prepared this fact sheet to summarize drug use trends in the United States. Populations covered in this fact sheet include the general household populations, students, active military personnel, and criminal offenders, as surveyed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the U.S. Department of Defense, and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). Some individuals, such as homeless people, are difficult to reach using standard survey techniques, so little is known about their drug use. For information on survey methodologies, please refer to the Sources section on page 5. The data used to prepare figures are presented at the end of the report.

General Population

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) of HHS have sponsored several national surveys to track drug use trends. One of the most widely known is the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA), which interviews persons age 12 and older living in households about drug and alcohol use. In 1991, the survey was expanded to include civilians living on military installments, persons living in college dormitories, and persons living in homeless shelters. Since October 1, 1992, the survey has been sponsored by SAMHSA. Earlier surveys were sponsored by NIDA. In 1999, the survey methodology changed, therefore making data from previous years incomparable. According to NHSDA (table 1), in 1979, 14.1% of the population age 12 and older reported using an illicit drug in the past 30 days. Between 1999 and 2001, past month illicit drug use for persons age 12 and older increased from 6.3% to 7.1%.

In 2001, an estimated 0.7% of the population age 12 and older reported using cocaine, including crack, at least once in the past month. Such use peaked in 1979 for 18- to 25-year-olds at 9.9%; in 1982 for 12- to 17-year-olds at 1.9%; and in 1985 for 26- to 34-year-olds at 6.3% (table 2).

In 2001, the percentage of Americans reporting marijuana use at least once in the past month was 5.4% of the population age 12 and older. Reported use of marijuana in the past month peaked in 1979 for 12- to 17-year-olds at 14.2%; for 18- to 25-year-olds at 35.6%; and for 26- to 34-year-olds at 19.7% (table 3).

Another major national survey tracking illicit drug abuse trends is the Monitoring the Future Study. When this annual NIDA-sponsored survey began in 1975, 30.7% of high school seniors reported using an illicit drug in the previous month. This figure climbed to 38.9% in 1978 and 1979, but declined to 14.4% in 1992. Since 1992, this number has increased to 25.7% in 2001 (figure 1).

In 1991, the Monitoring the Future Study began surveying 8th and 10th graders. Past month drug use increased from 6.8% in 1992 to 14.6% in 1996 for 8th graders and from 11% in 1992 to 23.2% in 1996 for 10th graders. In 2001, past month drug use among 8th graders decreased to 11.7% (figure 2).

Increased use of marijuana has been especially pronounced. Between 1992 and 1997, past month use of marijuana increased from 11.9% to 23.7% among 12th graders; 8.1% to 20.5% among 10th graders; and 3.7% to 10.2% among 8th graders.

Reported use of marijuana by high school seniors during the past month peaked in 1978 at 37.1% and declined to its lowest level of 11.9% in 1992.

Since 1998, current estimates of past month use of marijuana have remained relatively unchanged. In 2001, past month marijuana use among 12th, 10th, and 8th graders was estimated at 22.4%, 19.8%, and 9.2%, respectively.

Reported use of cocaine by high school seniors within the past month increased from 1.9% to 5.8% between 1975 and 1981. The highest level of cocaine use by this group was reported in 1985 at 6.7% and declined to a low of 1.3% in 1992 and 1993. In 2001, past month cocaine use was 2.1% among high school seniors.

Researchers, noting the emergence of crack, included it in the survey in 1986 as a separate question. In 1987, 1.3% of high school seniors reported using crack at least once within the past month. This number decreased to 1.1% in 2001.

Between 1991 and 2001, the use of most major drug types increased among 8th and 10th graders. After 6 years of increases, 8th graders' past month marijuana use began to decrease in 1997, falling to 10.2%. This decline continued through 2001 to 9.2%. The use of inhalants declined after peaking in 1995. In 2001, 8th graders reported past month use of inhalants at 4%, a higher rate than the 2.4% reported by 10th graders and the 1.7% reported by 12th graders.

The U.S. Department of Defense's Survey of Health-Related Behavior Among Military Personnel, which is conducted about every 3 years, examines the rates of drug use in the armed forces. In 1980, 27.6% of military respondents polled admitted using an illegal drug within the past 30 days. This proportion fell to 2.7% in 1998 (table 4). Of the drugs abused within the past 30 days, marijuana had the highest percentage of use at 1.4%.

In 1980, 36.7% of military respondents polled admitted to using an illicit drug within the past year. This number fell to 6.0% in 1998 (table 4). Male respondents (6.2%) were more likely than female respondents (4.6%) to have used an illicit drug within the past year.

Since October 1, 1992, SAMHSA has sponsored the Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN). Earlier surveys were sponsored by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, DOJ, and then by NIDA. Although this indicator of drug abuse consequences began in the early 1970s, nationally representative data are currently available only for 1978 through 2001.

The number of drug-related emergency department episodes increased from 323,100 in 1978 to an all time high of 638,484 in 2001. In 2001, cocaine-related episodes were at their highest level since the DAWN survey began in 1978; they constituted 30% (193,034) of all emergency department drug-related episodes (figure 3).

Between 1990 and 2001, marijuana/hashish-related episodes increased 604% (from 15,706 to 110,512). Between 1990 and 2000, the number of heroin-related episodes increased 180% (from 33,884 to 94,804). In 2001, heroin-related episodes decreased to 93,064. Methamphetamine/speed-related episodes were at their highest in 1994 (17,537) and 1997 (17,154). In 2001, there were 14,923 methamphetamine/speed-related episodes.

The Bureau of Justice Statistics conducts surveys of State and Federal prison populations every 5 years. The Survey of Inmates in State Correctional Facilities began in 1974 and samples individual characteristics of State prison inmates including their prior drug and alcohol use. The Survey of Inmates in Federal Correctional Facilities, which began in 1991, collects the same information from inmates in Federal prisons.

Survey data showed that drug use by State prison inmates in the month before their offense declined from 56% in 1986 to 50% in 1991 (table 5). However, between 1991 and 1997 the percentage of State prisoners who reported using drugs in the month before their offense increased from 50% in 1991 to 57% in 1997. Drug use at the time of offense for State prison inmates declined from 36% in 1986 to 31% in 1991. This percentage increased from 31% in 1991 to 33% in 1997.

Survey data showed an increase in the number of Federal prisoners reporting drug use in the month before their offense from 32% in 1991 to 45% in 1997. Drug use at the time of offense for Federal prison inmates increased from 17% in 1991 to 22% in 1997 (table 6).

The Drug Use Forecasting (DUF) program was begun in 1987 to collect information on drug use among urban arrestees. In 1997, the National Institute of Justice expanded and reengineered the DUF study and renamed it the Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring (ADAM) program. ADAM is a network of 34 research sites in select U.S. cities.

In 1988, the percentage of adult male arrestees testing positive for any drug at the time of arrest ranged from 54% in Kansas City, Missouri, and Indianapolis to 83% in New York City. For adult females the range was from 44% in St. Louis to 81% in Detroit. By 1999, the percentage of adult males testing positive for any drug at the time of arrest ranged from 50% in San Antonio to 77% in Atlanta. For female arrestees, the range was from 22% in Laredo to 81% in New York City. During the first 9 months of 2001 (January to September), preliminary results for adult males testing positive for any drug at the time of arrest ranged from 51.8% in Dallas to 77.5% in New York City.

Trends in drug use among arrestees vary by drug type and across sites. Between 1988 and 1991, marijuana use declined in most DUF sites. After 1992, marijuana use increased at most sites. In 1999, positive results for male arrestees ranged from 28% in Las Vegas to 51% in Omaha; the range for female arrestees was from 9% in Laredo to 39% in Oklahoma City. During the first 9 months of 2001 (January to September), preliminary results for adult males testing positive for marijuana use at the time of arrest ranged from 27.2% in Laredo to 58% in Omaha.