Results from the 2007 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH): National Findings, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, September 2008

This survey is the primary source of information on the use of illicit drugs, alcohol, and tobacco in the civilian noninstitutionalized population of the United States aged 12 years old and older.  The survey interviews approximately 67,500 persons each year.  Highlights from this study are presented below.

Illicit Drug Use

• In 2007, an estimated 19.9 million Americans aged 12 or older were current (past month) illicit drug users, meaning they had used an illicit drug during the month prior to the survey interview.  This estimate represents 8 percent of the population aged 12 years old or older.  Illicit drugs include marijuana/hashish, cocaine (including crack), heroin, hallucinogens, inhalants, or prescription-type psychotherapeutics used nomedically.
• The rate of current illicit drug use among persons aged 12 years or older in 2007 (8 percent) was similar to the rate in 2006 (8.3 percent).
• Marijuana was the most commonly used illicit drug (14.4 million past month users).  Among persons aged 12 or older, the rate of past month marijuana use in 2007 (5.8 percent) was similar to the rate in 2006 (6 percent).
• In 2007, there were 2.1 million current cocaine users aged 12 or older (.8 percent of the population). These estimates were similar to 2006 (2.4 million people or 1 percent).
• Hallucinogens were used in the past month by 1 million persons (.4 percent) aged 12 or older in 2007, including 503,000 (.2 percent) who had used Ecstasy.  These estimates were similar to 2006.
• There were 6.9 million (2.8 percent) persons aged 12 or older who used prescription-type psychotherapeutic drugs nonmedically in the past month.  Of these 5.2, million used pain relievers, the same as in 2006.
• In 2007, there were an estimated 529,000 current users of methamphetamine aged 12 or older (.2 percent of the population). These estimates were not significantly different from 2006 (731,000 or .3 percent).
• Among youth aged 12 to 17, the current illicit drug use rate remained stable from 2006 (9.8 percent) to 2007 (9.5 percent).
• Between 2002 and 2007, youth rates declined significantly for illicit drugs in general (from 11.6 to 9.5 percent) and for marijuana, cocaine, hallucinogens, LSD, Ecstasy, prescription-type drugs used nonmedically, pain relievers, stimulants, methamphetamine, and the use of illicit drugs other than marijuana.
• The rate of current marijuana use among youths aged 12 to 17 declined from 8.2 percent in 2002 to 6.7 percent in 2007.
• Among young adults aged 18 to 25, there were decreases from 2006 to 2007 in the rate of current use of several drugs, including cocaine, Ecstasy, stimulants, methamphetamine, and illicit drugs other than marijuana.
• From 2002 to 2007, there was an increase among young adults aged 18 to 25 in the rate of current use of prescription pain relievers, and a decrease in the use of hallucinogens, Ecstasy, and methamphetamine.
• Among those aged 50 to 54, the rate of past month illicit drug use increased from 3.4 percent in 2002 to 5.7 percent in 2007.
• Among persons aged 12 and older who used pain relievers nomedically in the past 12 months, 56.5 percent reported that the source of the drug the most recent time they used was from a friend or relative for free.
• In 2007, there were 9.9 million persons aged 12 or older who reported driving under the influence of illicit drugs during the past year.  The rate was highest among young adults aged 18 to 25. 

Initiation of Substance Use (Incidence, or First-Time Users) within the Past 12 Months

• In 2007, an estimated 2.7 million persons aged 12 and older used an illicit drug for the first time within the past 12 months.  Marijuana was the first drug used by 56.2 percent, followed by psychotherapeutics (30.6 percent, including 19 percent with pain relievers, 6.5 percent with tranquilizers, 4.1 percent with stimulants and 1.1 percent with sedatives), inhalants (10.7 percent), and hallucinogens (2 percent).
• The illicit drug categories with the largest number of past year initiates among persons aged 12 or older were nonmedical use of pain relievers (2.1 million) and marijuana use (2.1 million). These numbers were not significantly different from 2006.
• There were 775,000 persons aged 12 or older who had used inhalants for the first time within the past 12 months; 66.3 percent were under age 18 when they first used.  There was no significant change in the number of initiates from 2006 to 2007.
• The number of past year initiates of methamphetamine among persons aged 12 and older was 157,000 in 2007.  This is significantly lower than 2006 (259,000).
• Ecstasy initiation was lower in 2007 (781,000) than 2002 (1.2 million).