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Methamphetamine Use, Abuse, and Dependence

 

The NSDUH Report:  Methamphetamine Use, Abuse, and Dependence: 2002, 2003, and 2004

Highlights:

  • Methamphetamine use as recorded by SAMHSA's National Survey on Drug Use and Health includes both prescription preparations (i.e., Desoxyn® and Methedrine) and non-prescription/illicit methamphetamine.
  • In 2004, an estimated 1.4 million persons aged 12 or older (0.6% of the population) had used methamphetamine in the past year, and 600,000 persons (0.2% of the population) had used methamphetamine in the past month.
  • Although the number of past year and past month methamphetamine users did not change significantly between 2002 and 2004, the number of past month methamphetamine users who met criteria for abuse or dependence on one or more illicit drugs in the past year increased from 164,000 (27.5% of past month methamphetamine users) in 2002 to 346,000 (59.3%) in 2004.
  • The average age of first use among new methamphetamine users was 18.9 years in 2002, 20.4 years in 2003, and 22.1 years of age in 2004.

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This Short Report, The NSDUH Report:  Methamphetamine Use, Abuse, and Dependence: 2002, 2003, and 2004, is based on SAMHSA's  National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) conducted by SAMHSA's Office of Applied Studies (OAS) in the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).  SAMHSA's National Survey on Drug Use and Health is the primary source of information on the prevalence, patterns, and consequences of drug and alcohol use and abuse in the general U.S. civilian non institutionalized population, age 12 and older.   SAMHSA's National Survey on Drug Use & Health also provides estimates for drug use by State.

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This page was last updated on July 27, 2006.

SAMHSA, an agency in the Department of Health and Human Services, is the Federal Government's lead agency for improving the quality and availability of substance abuse prevention, addiction treatment, and mental health services in the United States.

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