Youth Indicators 1996 / Indicator 49

Indicator 49. Tobacco, Alcohol, and Drug Use

Tobacco, alcohol, and drug use among high school seniors, by substance and frequency of use: 1975 to 1994

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        Substance         Class  Class  Class   Class  Class  Class  Class  Class
      and frequency         of     of     of      of     of     of     of     of
         of use            1975   1980   1985    1990   1991   1992   1993   1994
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                                  Percent reporting having ever used drugs

Cigarettes ............    73.6   71.0   68.8    64.4   63.1   61.8   61.9   62.0
Alcohol\1\ ............... 90.4   93.2   92.2    89.5   88.0   87.5   80.0   80.4
Any illicit drug ......... 55.2   65.4   60.6    47.9   44.1   40.7   42.9   45.6
  Marijuana only ......... 19.0   26.7   20.9    18.5   17.2   15.6   16.2   18.0
  Any illicit drug other
   than marijuana\2\ ..... 36.2   38.7   39.7    29.4   26.9   25.1   26.7   27.6

Selected illicit drugs:
  Cocaine ................  9.0   15.7   17.3     9.4    7.8    6.1    6.1    5.9
  Heroin .................  2.2    1.1    1.2     1.3    0.9    1.2    1.1    1.2
  LSD .................... 11.3    9.3    7.5     8.7    8.8    8.6   10.3   10.5
  Marijuana/hashish ...... 47.3   60.3   54.2    40.7   36.7   32.6   35.3   38.2
  PCP ....................  ---    9.6    4.9     2.8    2.9    2.4    2.9    2.8

                           Percent reporting use of drugs in the previous 30 days

Cigarettes ............... 36.7   30.5   30.1    29.4   28.3   27.8   29.9   31.2
Alcohol\1\ ............... 68.2   72.0   65.9    57.1   54.0   51.3   48.6   50.1
Any illicit drug ......... 30.7   37.2   29.7    17.2   16.4   14.4   18.3   21.9
  Marijuana only ......... 15.3   18.8   14.8     9.2    9.3    8.1   10.4   13.1
  Any illicit drug other
   than marijuana\2\ ..... 15.4   18.4   14.9     8.0    7.1    6.3    7.9    8.8

Selected illicit drugs:
  Cocaine ................  1.9    5.2    6.7     1.9    1.4    1.3    1.3    1.5
  Heroin .................  0.4    0.2    0.3     0.2    0.2    0.3    0.2    0.3
  LSD ....................  2.3    2.3    1.6     1.9    1.9    2.0    2.4    2.6
  Marijuana/hashish ...... 27.1   33.7   25.7    14.0   13.8   11.9   15.5   19.0
  PCP ....................  ---    1.4    1.6     0.4    0.5    0.6    1.0    0.7
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-Data not available.

/1/ Beginning in 1993, the question was changed to indicate that "a drink" meant "more than a few sips."

/2/ Other illicit drugs include hallucinogens, cocaine, and heroin, or any other opiates, stimulants, sedatives, or tranquilizers not prescribed by a doctor.

NOTE: A revised questionnaire was used in 1982 and later years to reduce the inappropriate reporting of nonprescription stimulants. This slightly reduced the positive responses for some types of drug use.

SOURCE: University of Michigan, Institute for Social Research, Monitoring the Future, various years.

Indicator chart and text.

[Indicator 48. Illness] [Indicator 50. Death]