New Report on Substance Use Among Adolescents

	Source: Office of Applied Studies Did you know?
	Although there was little change in past-month use of cigarettes, alcohol, and illicit drugs among adolescents between 2006 and 2007, the rates generally declined between 2002 and 2007 (cigarettes from 13.0 to 9.8 percent; alcohol from 17.6 to 15.9 percent; illicit drugs from 11.6 to 9.5 percent).
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Adolescents who use drugs at an earlier age are more likely to develop substance dependence or abuse. Preventing or delaying substance use among this population is of utmost importance and has been an ongoing goal of the Federal Government's Healthy People initiative (http://www.healthypeople.gov/). This issue of The NSDUH Report examines trends in substance use, dependence or abuse, and treatment among adolescents (i.e., youths aged 12 to 17). Data from the 2002 through 2007 National Surveys on Drug Use and Health (NSDUHs) are utilized.

In this report, substance dependence or abuse is defined using criteria in the 4th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV), which includes symptoms such as withdrawal, tolerance, use in dangerous situations, trouble with the law, and interference in major obligations at work, school, or home during the past year.

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Trends in Substance Use, Dependence or Abuse, and Treatment among Adolescents: 2002 to 2007

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