Illicit Drug Use Dips in Youth, Spikes in Boomers

WASHINGTON — The rate of illicit drug use in adolescents and young adults stayed relatively steady in 2007, showing mild decreases in use for many drugs.

But drug use continues to be carried into older age by baby boomers, especially those aged 55–59 years, which more than doubled its rate of illicit drug use during 2002–2007, according to the results of the 2007 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

The increase might partly reflect the aging of baby boomers, who have had higher lifetime rates of illicit drug use than did those in older age groups, according to Eric B. Broderick, D.D.S., acting administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

“While the survey results demonstrate that as a nation we are moving in the right direction, they also show how much work remains to be done to confront drug use and drug users in an honest and direct way,” Dr. Broderick said at a press briefing sponsored by SAMHSA.

Compared with the 2002 survey data, in the current survey, youth aged 12–17 years reported declining use of nearly every type of illicit drug, as well as alcohol, cigarette smoking, and nonmedical use of prescription drugs, particularly pain relievers. Young adults aged 18–25 years had significant declines in hallucinogens and methamphetamine use, but their nonmedical use of prescription drugs rose (see graphic).

The survey measured a sample of nearly 68,000 in the general U.S. civilian population, aged 12 years or older. The methodology was improved in 2002, when the survey name was changed from the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse.

For 2006–2007, individuals aged 18–25 years reported significant decreases in the use of cocaine by 23% (from 2.2% to 1.7%) and the use of methamphetamine by 33% (from 0.6% to 0.4%). This trend may be attributable to lower rates of use by teenagers who have now aged into young adulthood, as well as substantial disruption of the markets for both drugs over the past 18 months, said John P. Walters, director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy.

Mr. Walters thought that if the current generation of adolescents and young adults have less exposure to drugs, then fewer of them will use drugs later in life. The current spike in illicit drug use by individuals aged 55–59 years, from 1.9% in 2002 to 4.1% in 2007, shows that past drug use from the baby boomer population has carried on later into life, compared with the significantly lower rates of use seen in previous generations in that age group.

An estimated 23.2 million people needed treatment for substance abuse or dependence in 2007, but only 2.4 million people received treatment at a specialty facility. Of the remaining 20.8 million who did not receive care, nearly 94% felt that they did not need treatment. The large number of people who do not feel they need treatment “is something we absolutely need to change,” Dr. Broderick said.