Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt announced a 9 percent decline in illicit drug use among American youth between the ages of 12 and 17 from 2002 to 2004. Marijuana use also declined by 7 percent among young adults between the ages of 18 and 25 during this same period. Marijuana continues to be the most commonly used illicit drug, with a rate of 6.1 percent (14.6 million current users) for the U.S. population 12 and older. The findings are from the 2004 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) released today at the annual National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month press conference.
The survey findings, released by HHS’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), show that overall 19.1 million Americans, or 7.9 percent of the population ages 12 and older were current illicit drug users meaning they used an illicit drug in the past month. This rate was similar to the rates seen in 2002 and 2003, around 8 percent of the population ages 12 and older.
“The news today is an indication that our partnerships and the work of prevention professionals, schools, parents, teachers, law enforcement, religious leaders, and local community anti-drug coalitions are paying off,” SAMHSA Administrator Charles Curie said. “Yet our work is far from over. We must continue our efforts to support people in their struggle with substance abuse and mental illness to help ensure they have the opportunity for recovery.”
Panel of Speakers:
- John Walters, Director, White House Office of National Drug Control Policy
- Charles G. Curie, Administrator, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
- Diedre Drohan Forbes, Chair, Friends and Voices of Recovery, Westchester County, N.Y., and person in recovery from co-occurring substance use and depression
- Carrick Forbes, student at Hunter College, N.Y.C., in recovery from heroin abuse
- Vicki Sickels, person in recovery from methamphetamine abuse from Des Moines, Iowa
  
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