| Special
Drug Use in the USA Fact File
2561/ Despite the fact
that federal spending on the drug war increased from $1.65
billion in 1982 to $17.7 billion in 1999, more than half of
the students in the United States in 1999 tried an illegal
drug before they graduated from high school. Additionally,
65% have tried cigarettes by 12th grade and 35% are current
smokers, and 62% of twelfth graders and 25% of 8th graders
in 1999 report having been drunk at least once.
2562/ Every year from
1975 to 1999, at least 82% of high school seniors surveyed
have said they find marijuana "fairly easy" or "very
easy" to obtain. In 2000, 88.5% of high school seniors
said it was fairly or very easy to obtain.
2563/ The Center on Addiction
and Substance Abuse reported that, in response to the question
"Which is easiest for someone your age to buy: cigarettes,
beer or marijuana?" 33% responded cigarettes, 10% said
beer, 33% said marijuana, 7% said all three were the same
difficulty, and 17% said don't know or had no response.
2564/ "'Crack' is
the street name given to cocaine that has been processed from
cocaine hydrochloride to a free base for smoking. Rather than
requiring the more volatile method of processing cocaine using
ether, crack cocaine is processed with ammonia or sodium bicarbonate
(baking soda) and water and heated to remove the hydrochloride,
thus producing a form of cocaine that can be smoked. The term
'crack' refers to the crackling sound heard when the mixture
is smoked (heated), presumably from the sodium bicarbonate."
2565/ When people mix
cocaine and alcohol consumption, they are compounding the
danger each drug poses and unknowingly forming a complex chemical
experiment within their bodies. NIDA-funded researchers have
found that the human liver combines cocaine and alcohol and
manufactures a third substance, cocaethylene, that intensifies
cocaine's euphoric effects, while possibly increasing the
risk of sudden death.
2566/ The proportion
of high school seniors who have used cocaine at least once
in their lifetimes has increased from a low of 5.9 percent
in 1994 to 9.8 percent in 1999. However, this is lower than
its peak of 17.3 percent in 1985.
2567/ The main active
chemical in marijuana is THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol).
The membranes of certain nerve cells in the brain contain
protein receptors that bind to THC. Once securely in place,
THC kicks off a series of cellular reactions that ultimately
lead to the high that users experience when they smoke marijuana.
2568/ In the brain, THC
connects to specific sites called cannabinoid receptors on
nerve cells and influences the activity of those cells. Some
brain areas have many cannabinoid receptors; others have few
or none. Many cannabinoid receptors are found in the parts
of the brain that influence pleasure, memory, thought, concentration,
sensory and time perception, and coordinated movement.
2569/ Methamphetamine
releases high levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine, which
stimulates brain cells, enhancing mood and body movement.
It also appears to have a neurotoxic effect, damaging brain
cells that contain dopamine and serotonin, another neurotransmitter.
Over time, methamphetamine appears to cause reduced levels
of dopamine, which can result in symptoms like those of Parkinson's
disease, a severe movement disorder.
2570/The major side effects
from abusing anabolic steroids can include liver tumours and
cancer, jaundice (yellowish pigmentation of skin, tissues,
and body fluids), fluid retention, high blood pressure, increases
in LDL (bad cholesterol), and decreases in HDL (good cholesterol).
Other side effects include kidney tumors, severe acne, and
trembling.
2571/ Rohypnol, the trade
name for flunitrazepam, has been a concern for the last few
years because of its abuse as a "date rape" drug.
People may unknowingly be given the drug which, when mixed
with alcohol, can incapacitate victims and prevent them from
resisting sexual assault. Also, Rohypnol can be lethal when
mixed with alcohol and/or other depressants.
2572/ Rohypnol produces
sedative-hypnotic effects including muscle relaxation and
amnesia; it can also produce dependence. Rohypnol is not approved
for use in the United States and its importation is banned.
Illicit use of Rohypnol began in Europe in the 1970s and started
appearing in the United States in the early 1990s, where it
became known as "rophies," "roofies,"
"roach," "rope," and the "date rape"
drug.
2573/ Since about 1990,
GHB (gamma-hydroxybutyrate) has been abused in the U.S. for
euphoric, sedative, and anabolic (body-building) effects.
GHB use associated with sexual assault has surpassed Rohypnol
use associated with sexual assault.
2574/ Heroin is processed
from morphine, a naturally occurring substance extracted from
the seedpod of the Asian poppy plant. Heroin usually appears
as a white or brown powder. Street names for heroin include
"smack," "H," "skag," and "junk."
Other names may refer to types of heroin produced in a specific
geographical area, such as "Mexican black tar."
2575/ A study prepared
by The Lewin Group for the National Institute on Drug Abuse
and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
estimated the total economic cost of alcohol and drug abuse
to be $245.7 billion for 1992. Of this cost, $97.7* billion
was due to drug abuse. This estimate includes substance abuse
treatment and prevention costs as well as other healthcare
costs, costs associated with reduced job productivity or lost
earnings, and other costs to society such as crime and social
welfare. The study also determined that these costs are borne
primarily by governments (46 percent), followed by those who
abuse drugs and members of their households (44 percent).
The 1992
cost estimate has increased 50 percent over the cost estimate
from 1985 data. ( * This estimate includes illicit drugs and
other drugs taken for non-medical purposes. It does not include
nicotine.)
2576/ In Fiscal Year
1995, there were nearly 1.9 million admissions to publicly
funded substance abuse treatments.
About 54 percent were
alcohol treatment admissions; and nearly 46 percent were
for illicit drug abuse treatment.
Men made up about 70 percent of individuals in treatment;
and women 30 percent.
Fifty-six percent were White, followed in number by African
Americans (26 percent), Hispanics (7.7 percent), Native
Americans (2.2 percent), and Asians and Pacific Islanders
(0.6 percent).
The largest number of illicit drug treatment admissions,
were for cocaine (38.3 percent), followed by heroin (25.5
percent), and marijuana (19.1 percent). Fifty-nine percent
of admissions were to treatment in an ambulatory environment.
2577/ Methylphenidate
(Ritalin) is a medication prescribed for individuals (usually
children) who have an abnormally high level of activity or
attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). According
to the National Institute of Mental Health, about 3 to 5 percent
of the general population has the disorder, which is characterized
by agitated behavior and an inability to focus on tasks. Methylphenidate
also is occasionally prescribed for treating narcolepsy. Methylphenidate
is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant. It has effects
similar to, but more potent than, caffeine and less potent
than amphetamines. It has a notably calming effect on hyperactive
children and a "focusing" effect on those with ADHD.
2578/ Drug
treatment programs in prisons can succeed in preventing patients'
return to criminal behavior, particularly if they are linked
to community-based programs that continue treatment when the
client leaves prison. Some of the more successful programs
have reduced the rearrest rate by one-fourth to one-half.
For example, the "Delaware Model," an ongoing study
of comprehensive treatment of drug- addicted prison inmates,
shows that prison-based treatment including a therapeutic
community setting, a work release therapeutic community, and
community-based aftercare reduces the probability of rearrest
by 57 percent and reduces the likelihood of returning to drug
use by 37 percent.
2579/ Treatment
of drug abuse can reduce those costs. Studies have shown that
from $4 to $7 are saved for every dollar spent on treatment.
It costs approximately $3,600 per month to leave a drug abuser
untreated in the community, and incarceration costs approximately
$3,300 per month. In contrast, methadone maintenance therapy
costs about $290 per month.
2580/ Of
women who use illicit drugs, however, about half are in the
childbearing age group of 15 to 44. In 1992/1993, NIDA conducted
a nationwide hospital survey to determine the extent of drug
abuse among pregnant women in the United States. This National
Pregnancy and Health Survey found that of the 4 million women
who gave birth during the period, 757,000 women drank alcohol
products and 820,000 women smoked cigarettes during their
pregnancies. There was a strong link among cigarette, alcohol,
and illegal drug use. Thirty-two percent of those who reported
use of one drug also smoked cigarettes and drank alcohol.
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