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Substance Use Among School Dropouts

The NSDUH Report:  Substance Use Among School Dropouts  Aged 18 to 24

Highlights:

  • In 2002, approximately 3.2 million young adults aged 18 to 24 were considered to be school dropouts.  SAMHSA's 2002 National Survey on Drug Use and Health compared the rates of smoking, drinking, and illegal drug use among young adult dropouts and non-dropouts.
  •  Among young adults aged 18 to 24, a larger percentage of school dropouts than non-dropouts smoked cigarettes in the past month among both males and females.   Among whites and blacks, the percentages of current cigarette smokers were higher among dropouts than non-dropouts.
  • Among blacks, school dropouts were more likely than non-dropouts to be binge alcohol users.  Among whites and Hispanics, however, the rates of binge alcohol use were similar for school dropouts and non-dropouts.
  • Among all young adults aged 18 to 24, the prevalence of past month illegal drug use was similar for school dropouts and non-dropouts.  Among whites and blacks, however, school dropouts were more likely than non-dropouts to have used illicit drugs.

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This Short Report, The NSDUH Report:  Substance Use Among School Dropouts,  is based on SAMHSA's  National Survey on Drug Use and Health (formerly called the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse) conducted by the Office of Applied Studies (OAS)in the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).  SAMHSA's NHSDA/NSDUH is the primary source of information on the prevalence, patterns, and consequences of drug and alcohol use and abuse in the general U.S. civilian non institutionalized population, age 12 and older.   Estimates are also available for drug use by state.

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This page was last updated on November 21, 2008.

SAMHSA, an agency in the Department of Health and Human Services, is the Federal Government's lead agency for improving the quality and availability of substance abuse prevention, addiction treatment, and mental health services in the United States.

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