Prevalence and Correlates of Drug Use and Dependence in the United States

Abstract

Drug use and dependence are highly prevalent in the general population. The fact that there are differences in the correlates of first use, dependence among users, and persistence of dependence means that future research aimed at pinpointing modifiable risk factors must be based on disaggregated analyses of separate stages of progression.

From First Drug Use to Drug Dependence Developmental Periods of Risk for Dependence upon Marijuana, Cocaine, and Alcohol

“…This set of limitations has been discussed quite thoroughly in past NCS papers published in the Archives of General Psychiatry and elsewhere (e.g., see Kessler et al 1994Kessler et al , 1997Anthony et al 1994;Warner et al 1995;Kessler and Mroczek 1996;Wittchen 1996;Hasin et al 1997;Pull et al 1997;Lachner et al 1998;Wittchen et al 1999). Here, we would like to add a note of clarification: large-sample epidemiological studies do not provide the same context for studies of reliability and validity as one can create in a smaller sample study where there might be multiple opportunities for repeated assessment and increasingly detailed diagnostic cross-examination.…”

“…Detailed descriptions of the NCS and its procedures for assessing drug dependence are provided elsewhere (Anthony et al 1994;Kessler et al 1994;Warner et al 1995). In brief, the study sample is a stratified multistage area probability sample of community residents age 15 to 54 years in the nonistitutionalized civilian population of the 48 coterminous United States, and a supplemental sample representative of students living in campus group housing.…”

“…By comparison, among persons who had tried alcoholic beverages at least once, about one in 6 or 7, or 15%, had become alcohol dependent (Anthony et al 1994). In the present study, we extend this look at the comparative epidemiology of drug dependence, but here our focus is upon estimation of the age-specific and time-specific risks of progression from first drug use to dependence, separately for marijuana, cocaine, and (for comparison) alcoholic beverages (hereinafter, 'alcohol').Prior studies have conveyed estimates of age-specific risk for first alcohol use and alcohol dependence, as well as risk estimates for initiation of illicit use and dependence on controlled drugs in general (e.g., Kandel and Logan 1984;Eaton et al 1989;Warner et al 1995;Chen and Kandel 1995;Johnson and Gerstein 1998;Perkonigg et al 1999;DeWit et al 2000). The role of early onset of drug use and progression to initial and problematic use of other drugs also has been studied in some detail (e.g., Kandel 1985;Anthony and Petronis 1995;Grant 1998;Grant and Dawson 1998).…”

“…Prior studies have conveyed estimates of age-specific risk for first alcohol use and alcohol dependence, as well as risk estimates for initiation of illicit use and dependence on controlled drugs in general (e.g., Kandel and Logan 1984;Eaton et al 1989;Warner et al 1995;Chen and Kandel 1995;Johnson and Gerstein 1998;Perkonigg et al 1999;DeWit et al 2000). The role of early onset of drug use and progression to initial and problematic use of other drugs also has been studied in some detail (e.g., Kandel 1985;Anthony and Petronis 1995;Grant 1998;Grant and Dawson 1998).…”

Cross-boundary Substance Uses Among Hong Kong Chinese Young Adults

“…[13][14][15][16][17] In Hong Kong, a large-scale drug use survey conducted in year 2000 on 95,788 secondary school students found that 4.1% of them had used some psychotropic substances in their lifetime (as compared to 2.7% in 1996). 18 Another local survey reported the prevalence of using psychoactive substances in the last year among those aged between 18 and 24 to be 9.3 and 5.5% for men and women, respectively.…”