Alarming Drug Abuse Statistics

As we are all aware, doping activity has really picked up pace since it has gotten the media and celebrities involved. This has become a major reason to worry for almost every parent. Among the most vulnerable class are teenagers, who are trying to fit in and be cool.. They are following in the footsteps of all these pop stars who have used drugs. Second on the list are people who are unemployed or are emotionally disturbed, they tend to drift towards these activities. Despite strict laws there has been no stopping for a lot of people.

The facts and figures speak for themselves. Among the age group of 12-17 the most popular drug is marijuana because it is cheap, available, and gives a good kick. Next in the list is cocaine, it is a popular party drug. Pain relievers are the next most popular after cocaine, it acts as a stress buster for many people. A lot of drugs are comparatively less consumed because of financial issues. Another interesting figure was that among adults aged 18 or older who first tried marijuana at age 14 or younger, 12.9 percent were classified with illicit drug dependence or abuse, higher than the 2.2 percent of adults, who had first used marijuana at age 18 or older.

Among adults, the age they first used alcohol was associated with their dependence on or abuse of alcohol. For example, among adults age 18 or older who first tried alcohol at age 14 or younger, 17.5 percent were classified with alcohol dependence or abuse, compared with only 3.7 percent of adults who had first used alcohol at age 18 or older. Adults age 21 or older who had first used alcohol before age 21 were more likely than adults who had their first drink at age 21 or older to be classified with alcohol dependence or abuse.

The rate of illicit drug dependence or abuse among males age 12 or older was similar, 3.7 percent. The rate for females involved in these activities is 2.1%. Adults age 18 or older who were on parole or a supervised release from prison during the past year had higher rates of dependence on or abuse of a substance (36.9 percent) than their counterparts who were not on parole or supervised release during the past year (9.1 percent). Probation status was associated with substance dependence or abuse. The rate of substance dependence or abuse was 39.7 percent among adults who were on probation, which was significantly higher than the rate among adults who were not on probation (8.7 percent).

The figures are also not too convincing for adults, 11.3 % people above the age 18 or older were found involved in these acts, 18.6% people from the age group of 20-25, 12.5% were from 26-49, 7.1% from 50- older. The prime reason among adults drifting toward drugs was too much stress and emotion disturbance. Another interesting figure was that 27.7 % of the people involved in illicit drug habits,29.7% were found out to be chain smokers and 38.6% were found out to be involved in severe drinking habits.

It's really depressing to see such figures. I hope people realize these things and at least make an effort to save their health and make a better tomorrow for themselves. If such acts continue at the same pace as they are, I wonder what will be of the generations to come.