NCJ Number
156261
Date Published
1991
Length
6 pages
Annotation
The 1991 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse confirmed previously reported decreases in marijuana use from the peak year of 1979 and in cocaine use from the peak year, but also suggested that the substantial declines in drug use prevalence since 1985 have either slowed or have leveled off.
Abstract
In 1991, 75.4 million people ages 12 and older (37 percent of the population) had tried marijuana, cocaine, or other illicit drugs at least once in their lifetime. The overall current prevalence rate for any illicit drug use was 6.2 percent for persons age 12 and older. Rates for males and females were 7.5 percent and 5 percent respectively. In addition to males, other demographic subgroups with rates in excess of the overall rate were blacks (9.4 percent), those living in the western region (8.1 percent), and the unemployed population (16.8 percent). The overall rate for current alcohol use was 50.9 percent; current use of alcohol among youth declined significantly from 24.5 percent in 1990 to 20.3 percent in 1991.