II. National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA)

MAIN FINDINGS:

• The news for the 12-17 age group is positive. The single most important finding from the 1999 NHSDA is that the rate of current, past month use of any drug among 12-17 year olds has declined for the second straight year, showing a 21 percent drop over the past two years and a 9 percent drop in the past year (from 11.4 % in 1997, to 9.9% in 1998, and to 9.0% in 1999).
• Current use of marijuana in the 12-17 year-old age cohort showed an even greater decline, falling by 26 percent (from 9.4% in 1997 to 7.0% in 1999). Such a decline for marijuana, the most popular of all drugs among youth, occurring among current users, that is those with well-developed patterns of use, is remarkable good news.
  
  There are also some negative findings.
• Young adults in the age group 18-25 still pose a serious problem. For that cohort, young adults, the current rate of use of any illicit drug is up 28 percent over the last two years (rising from 14.7% in 1997 to 18.8% in 1999).
• Marijuana use also rose 28 percent (from 12.8% in 1997 to 16.4% in 1999). Cocaine use in this cohort rose in 1998 but dropped slightly in 1999.
• The 18-25 age cohort, which includes many of those who formed their attitudes about drug use and began use in the early 1990s, can be expected to have somewhat higher rates of use as they age.

Initiation rates show some improvement.

• There were 2.3 million new marijuana users in 1998, 11 percent fewer than the 2.6 million in 1997. The average age at first use rose, up to 17.3 years in 1998, slightly higher than in the previous four years.
• This improvement did not follow through for cocaine. New cocaine users for 1998 were estimated at 934,000, an increase on 16 percent from 1996 and 1997 (both years at 800,000 new users). However the average age at first use for cocaine did rise, going from 19.6 years in 1997 to 21.3 years in 1998.
• Initiates to heroin use were estimated at 149,000 in 1998, 21 percent less than in 1997 with 189,000 new users. Average age at first use was 21.3 years, younger than the 22.6 years estimated for 1997.
• Met amphetamine initiates in 1998 were estimated at 378,000, 12 percent more than in the previous year (337,000 new users). However, average age of initiation, at 19.1 years, was improved from the previous year (18.0 years).
  Attitudes may be softening. Perceptions of risk of drug use among youth show significant declines in 1999.
• Great risk in smoking marijuana once a month was reported by 29.0 percent in 1999, a decrease of 11 percent from 32.6 percent reported in 1996.
• Similarly, great risk in smoking marijuana once or twice a week was reported by 52.6 percent in 1999, an 8 percent decrease from 57.1 percent in 1996. Great risk in using cocaine was reported by 49.8 percent in 1999, significantly lower than the 54.3 percent in the previous year-an 8 percent decline.

Bottom line findings from this year's Household Survey are that we are seeing a continued improvement among the youngest age group (aged 12-17). However, there remains a problem among young adults (aged 18-25). As a potential precursor of drug use behavior, the softening perceptions of risk among youth also are a cause for concern.

We have seen remarkable success over the past two years, due in large part to the continued hard work and solid focus of the prevention network-parents, coaches and other key mentors, community-based coalitions, foundations such as RWJ, schools, groups such as the Boys and Girls Clubs, and the ONDCP Youth Media Campaign have made a difference. But we still face a serious problem. While there is notable improvement in the 12-17 age group, drug use among young adults is rising. And other data sources indicate increasing problems with Club Drugs (i.e., MDMA, GHB, LSD) and with methamphetamine. Emerging drug use trends must still be tracked and responded to promptly and appropriately.