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.
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).
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.