This Week!

The idea of this page is to present an ever-changing selection of interesting and relevant information related to the work of the Center. This feature will change every week.  To view previous features, please visit our catalog of archives.

30 September 2005

Latest NSDUH Survey Data Released

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) recently released its 2004 results of the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). The annual survey, formerly known as the “Household Survey,” is the government’s primary vehicle for determining how many persons are abusing illegal drugs, pharmaceuticals, alcohol, and tobacco.

Results for alcohol use included the following: There were 10.8 million drinkers ages 12-20 in the month prior to the survey interview in 2004. This represents 28.7 percent of this age group. Of these, nearly 7.4 million (19.6 percent) were binge drinkers and 2.4 million (6.3 percent) were heavy drinkers. More than one-fifth (22.8 percent) of persons ages 12 or older participated in binge drinking at least once in the past month, and 6.9 percent of the population ages 12 and older reported heavy drinking. Heavy drinking is defined as five or more drinks on the same occasion on at least five different days in the past 30 days. All of the new figures are similar to estimates in 2002 and 2003.

The highest prevalence of binge and heavy drinking in 2004 was in young adults ages 18-25, with both binge and heavy drinking at their peak at age 21. Although the figures for alcohol use remained approximately the same as those of the previous survey, Secretary Leavitt announced a 9 percent decline in illicit drug use among American youth between the ages of 12 and 17 from 2002 to 2004. In addition, marijuana use declined by 7 percent among young adults between the ages of 18 and 25 during this same period. A press release is available on the SAMHSA Web site.

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Last Update: September 30, 2005

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