An Overview of Drug Use in the United States and Along the U.S. - Mexico Border
Author: Adams, Edgar H.
Date Published: 1986
Although race/ethnicity have been included in the treatment and hospital emergency room systems by NIDA, minority data from the national surveys has been insufficient to characterize levels of drug use among minority populations. The studies that have focused upon drug use among Hispanics had been confined to drug use in the barrio. This report revises the national trends from the High School Senior Survey, presents some data from the National Survey on Drug Abuse, the Hispanic Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, and review treatment data for Texas and four border countries. The 1985 Survey of High School Seniors was conducted in a nationally representative sample of 132 public and private schools in the United States. Over 16,000 students responded to the survey. It should be noted that this is a survey of graduation in high school seniors and dropouts are omitted. Alcohol and nicotine, the two licit psychoactive drugs in our society, are also the most prevalent. However, since an increasing number of States have raised the drinking age, the use of alcohol is illicit in this population of high school seniors. Among the illicit drugs, marijuana, stimulants, and cocaine are the most prevalent. The use of inhalants in the past year, for example, was about 6 percent versus 41 percent for marijuana and 13 percent for cocaine
Date Published: 1986
Although race/ethnicity have been included in the treatment and hospital emergency room systems by NIDA, minority data from the national surveys has been insufficient to characterize levels of drug use among minority populations. The studies that have focused upon drug use among Hispanics had been confined to drug use in the barrio. This report revises the national trends from the High School Senior Survey, presents some data from the National Survey on Drug Abuse, the Hispanic Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, and review treatment data for Texas and four border countries. The 1985 Survey of High School Seniors was conducted in a nationally representative sample of 132 public and private schools in the United States. Over 16,000 students responded to the survey. It should be noted that this is a survey of graduation in high school seniors and dropouts are omitted. Alcohol and nicotine, the two licit psychoactive drugs in our society, are also the most prevalent. However, since an increasing number of States have raised the drinking age, the use of alcohol is illicit in this population of high school seniors. Among the illicit drugs, marijuana, stimulants, and cocaine are the most prevalent. The use of inhalants in the past year, for example, was about 6 percent versus 41 percent for marijuana and 13 percent for cocaine
