2009 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH)
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October 15, 2010
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has published the findings from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). This annual study investigates the prevalence, patterns, and consequences of substance use and abuse in the general U.S. population, aged 12 years and older.
Some key findings of this scientific survey of approximately 67,500 people include the following:
- Current illicit drug use in the United States increased in 2009 compared with 2008.
- 8.7 percent of the population aged 12 years and older were using illicit drugs in 2009 compared with 8.0 percent in 2008. Most of this increase was due to a rise in marijuana use.
- The number of current nonmedical users of prescription drugs increased 12 percent between 2008 and 2009—from 6.2 million to 7.0 million Americans aged 12 or older.
More information can be viewed on the SAMHSA Website.