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Youth Substance Use and Family Income

NCJ Number
208544
Date Published
December 2004
Length
3 pages
Annotation
This report provides information on lifetime use of substances by youths aged 12 to 17 according to annual family income level.
Abstract
The 2003 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) asked respondents aged 12 or older to report on their lifetime use of cigarettes, alcohol, and illicit drugs, as well as total family income. This report presents findings from this survey. Report highlights include: (1) youths aged 12 to 17 in families with annual incomes of less than $20,000 were more likely to have used at least one substance during their lifetime than those with incomes of $75,000 or more; (2) an estimated 15 percent of youths in families with annual incomes of less than $20,000 had ever used prescription-type drugs non-medically compared with 11 percent of those in families with incomes of $75,000 or more; and (3) youths in families with annual incomes of less than $20,000 were equally likely to have ever used alcohol or inhalants as those in families with incomes of $75,000 or more.