Stimulant Use and Delinquent Behavior
More than half a million adolescents age 12 to 17 used
stimulants nonmedically in the past year, according
to a new report from SAMHSA.
Across adolescent age groups, the rate of past-year
nonmedical stimulant use increased from 0.7 percent
among youth age 12 or 13 to 3.3 percent among those
age 16 or 17.
The report, Nonmedical Stimulant
Use, Other Drug Use, Delinquent Behaviors,
and Depression among Adolescents,
examines the nonmedical use of stimulants,
like methylphenidate and methamphetamine,
among youth age 12 to 17 and its association with
other illicit drug use, delinquent activity,
and major depressive episodes (MDEs).
Types of Behavior
In 2005 and 2006, an estimated annual average of 8.7
million youth age 12 to 17 (34.5 percent) engaged in
at least one of six types of delinquent behaviors in
the past year:
Got into a serious fight at school or work Got into a group fight Carried a handgun Sold illegal drugs Stole anything worth more than $50 Attacked someone with intent to cause serious
injury.
Youth who used stimulants nonmedically in the past
year were more likely to have participated in each of
the six delinquent behaviors in the past year compared
with other youth.
For example, more than twice the number
of youth who used stimulants nonmedically
in the past year got into a serious fight compared with
youth who did not use stimulants nonmedically in the
past year (47.2 versus 22.5 percent).
Back
to Top
Other Findings
In 2005 and 2006, youth age 12 to 17 who used stimulants
nonmedically in the past year were more likely to have
used other illicit drugs—e.g., marijuana, pain
relievers, and inhalants—in the past year compared
with youth who did not use stimulants nonmedically in
the past year (see chart).
An estimated 2.1 million (8.3 percent) youth experienced
at least one MDE in the past year. Youth who used stimulants
nonmedically in the past year were more likely to have
experienced a past-year MDE than youth who did not use
stimulants nonmedically in the past year (22.8 versus
8.1 percent).
All findings presented are annual averages based on
combined 2005 and 2006 National Survey on Drug Use and
Health (NSDUH) data.
The full report, Nonmedical Stimulant
Use, Other Drug Use, Delinquent Behaviors, and Depression
among Adolescents,
is available for free download from SAMHSA’s Office
of Applied Studies Web site at http://oas.samhsa.gov/2k8/stimulants/depression.pdf. 
Back to Top
Percentages of Youth Age 12 to 17
Using Illicit Drugs
in the Past Year,
by Past-Year Nonmedical
Stimulant Use:
2005 and 2006
« Previous Article
See
Also—Teens and Drug Use
Inhalants
Used Most by Young Teens »
Next
Article »
Back
to Top
|
