Highlights

This report presents the first information from the 2011 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), an annual survey sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The survey is the primary source of information on the use of illicit drugs, alcohol, and tobacco in the civilian, noninstitutionalized population of the United States aged 12 years old or older. Approximately 67,500 persons are interviewed in NSDUH each year. Unless otherwise noted, all comparisons in this report described using terms such as "increased," "decreased," or "more than" are statistically significant at the .05 level.

Illicit Drug Use

In 2011, an estimated 22.5 million Americans aged 12 or older were current (past month) illicit drug users, meaning they had used an illicit drug during the month prior to the survey interview. This estimate represents 8.7 percent of the population aged 12 or older. Illicit drugs include marijuana/hashish, cocaine (including crack), heroin, hallucinogens, inhalants, or prescription-type psychotherapeutics (pain relievers, tranquilizers, stimulants, and sedatives) used nonmedically.
The rate of current illicit drug use among persons aged 12 or older in 2011 (8.7 percent) was similar to the rate in 2010 (8.9 percent).
Marijuana was the most commonly used illicit drug. In 2011, there were 18.1 million past month users. Between 2007 and 2011, the rate of use increased from 5.8 to 7.0 percent, and the number of users increased from 14.5 million to 18.1 million.
In 2011, there were 1.4 million current cocaine users aged 12 or older, comprising 0.5 percent of the population. These estimates were similar to the number and rate in 2010 (1.5 million or 0.6 percent), but were lower than the estimates in 2006 (2.4 million or 1.0 percent).
The number of persons who were past year heroin users in 2011 (620,000) was higher than the number in 2007 (373,000).
Hallucinogens were used in the past month by 972,000 persons (0.4 percent) aged 12 or older in 2011. These estimates were lower than the estimates in 2010 (1.2 million or 0.5 percent).
In 2011, there were 6.1 million persons (2.4 percent) aged 12 or older who used prescription-type psychotherapeutic drugs nonmedically in the past month. These estimates were lower than the estimates in 2010 (7.0 million or 2.7 percent).
The number of past month methamphetamine users decreased between 2006 and 2011, from 731,000 (0.3 percent) to 439,000 (0.2 percent).
Among youths aged 12 to 17, the current illicit drug use rate was similar in 2010 (10.1 percent) and 2011 (10.1 percent), but was higher than the rate in 2008 (9.3 percent). Between 2002 and 2008, the rate declined from 11.6 to 9.3 percent.
The rate of current marijuana use among youths aged 12 to 17 decreased from 8.2 percent in 2002 to 6.7 percent in 2006, remained unchanged at 6.7 percent in 2007 and 2008, then increased to 7.4 percent in 2009. Rates in 2010 (7.4 percent) and 2011 (7.9 percent) were similar to the rate in 2009.
Among youths aged 12 to 17, the rate of current nonmedical use of prescription-type drugs declined from 4.0 percent in 2002 to 2.8 percent in 2011. The rate of nonmedical pain reliever use declined during this period from 3.2 to 2.3 percent among youths.
The rate of current use of illicit drugs among young adults aged 18 to 25 increased from 19.7 percent in 2008 to 21.4 percent in 2011, driven largely by an increase in marijuana use (from 16.6 percent in 2008 to 19.0 percent in 2011).
Among young adults aged 18 to 25, the rate of current nonmedical use of prescription-type drugs in 2011 was 5.0 percent, which was lower than the rate in the years from 2003 to 2010. There was a decrease from 2005 to 2011 in the use of cocaine among young adults, from 2.6 to 1.4 percent.
Among those aged 50 to 59, the rate of past month illicit drug use increased from 2.7 percent in 2002 to 6.3 percent in 2011. This trend partially reflects the aging into this age group of the baby boom cohort (i.e., persons born between 1946 and 1964), whose lifetime rate of illicit drug use has been higher than those of older cohorts.
Among unemployed adults aged 18 or older in 2011, 17.2 percent were current illicit drug users, which was higher than the 8.0 percent of those employed full time and 11.6 percent of those employed part time. However, most illicit drug users were employed. Of the 19.9 million current illicit drug users aged 18 or older in 2011, 13.1 million (65.7 percent) were employed either full or part time.
In 2011, 9.4 million persons aged 12 or older reported driving under the influence of illicit drugs during the past year. This corresponds to 3.7 percent of the population aged 12 or older, which was lower than the rate in 2010 (4.2 percent) and was lower than the rate in 2002 (4.7 percent). In 2011, the rate was highest among young adults aged 18 to 25 (11.6 percent).
Among persons aged 12 or older in 2010-2011 who used pain relievers nonmedically in the past 12 months, 54.2 percent got the drug they most recently used from a friend or relative for free. Another 18.1 percent reported they got the drug from one doctor. Only 3.9 percent got pain relievers from a drug dealer or other stranger, and 0.3 percent bought them on the Internet. Among those who reported getting the pain relievers from a friend or relative for free, 81.6 percent reported in a follow-up question that the friend or relative had obtained the drugs from just one doctor.

Alcohol Use

Slightly more than half (51.8 percent) of Americans aged 12 or older reported being current drinkers of alcohol in the 2011 survey, similar to the rate in 2010 (51.8 percent). This translates to an estimated 133.4 million current drinkers in 2011.
In 2011, nearly one quarter (22.6 percent) of persons aged 12 or older participated in binge drinking. This translates to about 58.3 million people. The rate in 2011 was similar to the estimate in 2010 (23.1 percent). Binge drinking is defined as having five or more drinks on the same occasion on at least 1 day in the 30 days prior to the survey.
In 2011, heavy drinking was reported by 6.2 percent of the population aged 12 or older, or 15.9 million people. This rate was lower than the rate of heavy drinking in 2010 (6.7 percent). Heavy drinking is defined as binge drinking on at least 5 days in the past 30 days.
Among young adults aged 18 to 25 in 2011, the rate of binge drinking was 39.8 percent. The rate of heavy drinking was 12.1 percent, which was lower than the rate in 2010 (13.5 percent).
The rate of current alcohol use among youths aged 12 to 17 was 13.3 percent in 2011. Youth binge and heavy drinking rates in 2011 were 7.4 and 1.5 percent, respectively. These rates were all similar to those reported in 2010 (13.6, 7.9, and 1.7 percent, respectively).
In 2011, an estimated 11.1 percent of persons aged 12 or older drove under the influence of alcohol at least once in the past year. This percentage was lower than in 2002, when it was 14.2 percent. The rate of driving under the influence of alcohol was highest among persons aged 21 to 25 (21.9 percent).
There were an estimated 9.7 million underage (aged 12 to 20) drinkers in 2011, including 6.1 million binge drinkers and 1.7 million heavy drinkers.
Past month, binge, and heavy drinking rates among underage persons declined between 2002 and 2011. Past month alcohol use declined from 28.8 to 25.1 percent, while binge drinking declined from 19.3 to 15.8 percent, and heavy drinking declined from 6.2 to 4.4 percent.
In 2011, 57.0 percent of current underage drinkers reported that their last use of alcohol occurred in someone else's home, and 28.2 percent reported that it had occurred in their own home. About one third (30.3 percent) paid for the alcohol the last time they drank, including 7.7 percent who purchased the alcohol themselves and 22.4 percent who gave money to someone else to purchase it. Among those who did not pay for the alcohol they last drank, 38.2 percent got it from an unrelated person aged 21 or older, 19.1 percent from another person younger than 21 years old, and 21.4 percent from a parent, guardian, or other adult family member.

Tobacco Use

In 2011, an estimated 68.2 million Americans aged 12 or older were current (past month) users of a tobacco product. This represents 26.5 percent of the population in that age range. Also, 56.8 million persons (22.1 percent of the population) were current cigarette smokers; 12.9 million (5.0 percent) smoked cigars; 8.2 million (3.2 percent) used smokeless tobacco; and 2.1 million (0.8 percent) smoked tobacco in pipes.
Between 2002 and 2011, past month use of any tobacco product decreased from 30.4 to 26.5 percent, past month cigarette use declined from 26.0 to 22.1 percent, and past month cigar use declined from 5.4 to 5.0 percent. Rates of past month use of smokeless tobacco and pipe tobacco in 2011 were similar to corresponding rates in 2002.
The rate of past month tobacco use among 12 to 17 year olds declined from 15.2 percent in 2002 to 10.0 percent in 2011, including a decline from 2010 (10.7 percent) to 2011. The rate of past month cigarette use among 12 to 17 year olds also declined between 2002 and 2011, from 13.0 to 7.8 percent, including a decline between 2009 (9.0 percent) and 2011.
One in six pregnant women aged 15 to 44 smoked cigarettes in the past month during 2010-2011. The rate of current smoking among pregnant women did not change between 2002-2003 (18.0 percent) and 2010-2011 (17.6 percent), while among women aged 15 to 44 who were not pregnant, the rate declined from 30.7 to 25.4 percent.

Initiation of Substance Use (Incidence, or First-Time Use) within the Past 12 Months

In 2011, an estimated 3.1 million persons aged 12 or older used an illicit drug for the first time within the past 12 months. This averages to about 8,400 initiates per day and was similar to the estimate for 2010 (3.0 million). A majority of these past year illicit drug initiates reported that their first drug was marijuana (67.5 percent). More than one in five initiated with psychotherapeutics (22.0 percent, including 14.0 percent with pain relievers, 4.2 percent with tranquilizers, 2.6 percent with stimulants, and 1.2 percent with sedatives). In 2011, 7.5 percent of initiates reported inhalants as their first illicit drug, and 2.8 percent used hallucinogens as their first drug.
In 2011, the illicit drug categories with the largest number of past year initiates among persons aged 12 or older were marijuana use (2.6 million) and nonmedical use of pain relievers (1.9 million). These estimates were not significantly different from the numbers in 2010. However, the number of marijuana initiates increased between 2008 (2.2 million) and 2011 (2.6 million).
In 2011, the average age of marijuana initiates among persons aged 12 to 49 was 17.5 years, which was higher than the average age of marijuana initiates in 2002 (17.0 years).
The number of past year initiates of methamphetamine among persons aged 12 or older was 133,000 in 2011. This estimate was lower than the estimates in 2002 to 2006, which ranged from 192,000 to 318,000.
The number of past year initiates of Ecstasy aged 12 or older was similar in 2011 (922,000) and 2010 (949,000), but the number in 2011 increased from 2005 (615,000).
The number of past year cocaine initiates aged 12 or older declined from 1.0 million in 2002 to 670,000 in 2011. The number of initiates of crack cocaine declined during this period from 337,000 to 76,000.
In 2011, there were 178,000 persons aged 12 or older who used heroin for the first time within the past year, not significantly different from the estimates from 2009 and 2010. However, this was an increase from the annual numbers of initiates during 2005 to 2007 (between 90,000 and 108,000).
Most (82.9 percent) of the 4.7 million past year alcohol initiates in 2011 were younger than 21 at the time of initiation.
The number of persons aged 12 or older who smoked cigarettes for the first time within the past 12 months was 2.4 million in 2011, which was the same as the estimate in 2010 (2.4 million), but higher than the estimate for 2002 (1.9 million). Most new smokers in 2011 were younger than 18 when they first smoked cigarettes (55.7 percent or 1.3 million). The number of new smokers who began smoking at age 18 or older increased from 623,000 in 2002 to 1.1 million in 2011.
The number of persons aged 12 or older who used smokeless tobacco for the first time within the past year was 1.3 million, similar to the estimates in 2005 to 2010.

Youth Prevention-Related Measures

The percentage of youths aged 12 to 17 perceiving great risk in smoking marijuana once or twice a week decreased from 54.6 percent in 2007 to 44.8 percent in 2011.
Between 2002 and 2008, the percentage of youths who reported great risk in smoking one or more packs of cigarettes per day increased from 63.1 to 69.5 percent, but the percentage dropped to 65.5 percent in 2009 and remained steady at 65.3 percent in 2010 and 66.2 percent in 2011.
Almost half (47.7 percent) of youths aged 12 to 17 reported in 2011 that it would be "fairly easy" or "very easy" for them to obtain marijuana if they wanted some. More than one in six reported it would be easy to get cocaine (17.5 percent). About one in eight (12.2 percent) indicated that LSD would be easily available, and 10.7 percent reported easy availability for heroin. Between 2002 and 2011, there were declines in the perceived availability for all four drugs.
A majority of youths aged 12 to 17 (89.3 percent) in 2011 reported that their parents would strongly disapprove of their trying marijuana once or twice. Current marijuana use was much less prevalent among youths who perceived strong parental disapproval for trying marijuana once or twice than for those who did not (5.0 vs. 31.5 percent).
In 2011, 75.1 percent of youths aged 12 to 17 reported having seen or heard drug or alcohol prevention messages from sources outside of school, which was lower than in 2002 (83.2 percent). The percentage of school-enrolled youths reporting that they had seen or heard prevention messages at school also declined during this period, from 78.8 to 74.6 percent.

Substance Dependence, Abuse, and Treatment

In 2011, an estimated 20.6 million persons (8.0 percent of the population aged 12 or older) were classified with substance dependence or abuse in the past year based on criteria specified in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition (DSM-IV). Of these, 2.6 million were classified with dependence or abuse of both alcohol and illicit drugs, 3.9 million had dependence or abuse of illicit drugs but not alcohol, and 14.1 million had dependence or abuse of alcohol but not illicit drugs.
Between 2002 and 2010, the number of persons with substance dependence or abuse was stable, ranging from 21.6 million to 22.7 million. However, the number in 2011 (20.6 million) was lower than the number in 2010 (22.2 million).
The specific illicit drugs that had the highest levels of past year dependence or abuse in 2011 were marijuana (4.2 million), pain relievers (1.8 million), and cocaine (0.8 million). The number of persons with marijuana dependence or abuse did not change between 2002 and 2011. Between 2004 and 2011, the number with pain reliever dependence or abuse increased from 1.4 million to 1.8 million, and between 2006 and 2011, the number with cocaine dependence or abuse declined from 1.7 million to 0.8 million.
The number of persons with heroin dependence or abuse increased from 214,000 in 2007 to 426,000 in 2011.
In 2011, adults aged 21 or older who had first used alcohol at age 14 or younger were more than 7 times as likely to be classified with alcohol dependence or abuse than adults who had their first drink at age 21 or older (13.8 vs. 1.8 percent).
Between 2002 and 2011, the percentage of youths aged 12 to 17 with substance dependence or abuse declined from 8.9 to 6.9 percent.
Treatment need is defined as having substance dependence or abuse or receiving treatment at a specialty facility (hospital inpatient, drug or alcohol rehabilitation, or mental health centers) within the past 12 months. In 2011, 21.6 million persons aged 12 or older needed treatment for an illicit drug or alcohol use problem (8.4 percent of persons aged 12 or older). Of these, 2.3 million (0.9 percent of persons aged 12 or older and 10.8 percent of those who needed treatment) received treatment at a specialty facility. Thus, 19.3 million persons (7.5 percent of the population aged 12 or older) needed treatment for an illicit drug or alcohol use problem but did not receive treatment at a specialty facility in the past year.
Of the 19.3 million persons aged 12 or older in 2011 who were classified as needing substance use treatment but did not receive treatment at a specialty facility in the past year, 912,000 persons (4.7 percent) reported that they felt they needed treatment for their illicit drug or alcohol use problem. Of these 912,000 persons who felt they needed treatment, 281,000 (30.8 percent) reported that they made an effort to get treatment, and 631,000 (69.2 percent) reported making no effort to get treatment.
The number of people receiving specialty substance abuse treatment in the past year in 2011 (2.3 million) was similar to the number in 2002 (2.3 million). However, the number receiving specialty treatment for a problem with nonmedical pain reliever use increased during this period, from 199,000 to 438,000.

1. Introduction

This report presents a first look at results from the 2011 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), an annual survey of the civilian, noninstitutionalized population of the United States aged 12 years old or older. The report presents national estimates of rates of use, numbers of users, and other measures related to illicit drugs, alcohol, and tobacco products. The report focuses on trends between 2010 and 2011 and from 2002 to 2011, as well as differences across population subgroups in 2011. NSDUH estimates related to mental health, which were included in national findings reports prior to 2009, are not included in this 2011 report.

Summary of NSDUH

NSDUH is the primary source of statistical information on the use of illegal drugs, alcohol, and tobacco by the U.S. civilian, noninstitutionalized population aged 12 or older. Conducted by the Federal Government since 1971, the survey collects data through face-to-face interviews with a representative sample of the population at the respondent's place of residence. The survey is sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and is planned and managed by SAMHSA's Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality (CBHSQ). Data collection and analysis are conducted under contract with RTI International.¹ This section briefly describes the survey methodology; a more complete description is provided in Appendix A.

NSDUH collects information from residents of households and noninstitutional group quarters (e.g., shelters, rooming houses, dormitories) and from civilians living on military bases. The survey excludes homeless persons who do not use shelters, military personnel on active duty, and residents of institutional group quarters, such as jails and hospitals. Appendix C describes substance use surveys that cover populations outside the NSDUH target population.

From 1971 through 1998, the survey employed paper and pencil data collection. Since 1999, the NSDUH interview has been carried out using computer-assisted interviewing (CAI). Most of the questions are administered with audio computer-assisted self-interviewing (ACASI). ACASI is designed to provide the respondent with a highly private and confidential mode for responding to questions in order to increase the level of honest reporting of illicit drug use and other sensitive behaviors. Less sensitive items are administered by interviewers using computer-assisted personal interviewing.

The 2011 NSDUH continued to employ a State-based design with an independent, multistage area probability sample within each State and the District of Columbia. The eight States with the largest population (which together account for about half of the total U.S. population aged 12 or older) are designated as large sample States (California, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas) and have a sample size of about 3,600 each. For the remaining 42 States and the District of Columbia, the sample size is about 900 per State. In 2011, four States in the Gulf Coast (Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi) had a 1-year supplemental sample to facilitate a study of the impact of the April 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill on substance use and mental health. In all States and the District of Columbia, the design oversampled youths and young adults; each State's sample was approximately equally distributed among three age groups: 12 to 17 years, 18 to 25 years, and 26 years or older.

Nationally, screening was completed at 156,048 addresses, and 70,109 completed interviews were obtained, which reflect the oversample of about 2,000 cases in the Gulf Coast. The survey was conducted from January through December 2011. Weighted response rates for household screening and for interviewing were 87.0 and 74.4 percent, respectively. See Appendix B for more information on NSDUH response rates.

Limitations on Trend Measurement

Trend analysis using NSDUH data is limited to 2002 to 2011, even though the survey has been conducted since 1971. Because of the shift in interviewing method in 1999, the estimates from the pre-1999 surveys are not comparable with estimates from the current CAI-based surveys. Although the design of the 2002 through 2011 NSDUHs is similar to the design of the 1999 through 2001 surveys, methodological differences affect the comparability of the 2002 to 2011 estimates with estimates from prior surveys. The most important change was the addition of a $30 incentive payment in 2002. Also, the name of the survey was changed in 2002, from the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA) to the current name. Improved data collection quality control procedures were introduced in the survey starting in 2001, and updated population data from the 2000 decennial census were incorporated into the sample weights starting with the 2002 estimates. Analyses of the effects of these factors on NSDUH estimates have shown that 2002 and later data should not be compared with 2001 and earlier data from the survey series to assess changes over time. Appendix C of the 2004 NSDUH report on national findings discusses this in more detail (Office of Applied Studies, 2005).

Because of changes in the questionnaire, estimates for methamphetamine, stimulants, and psychotherapeutics in this report should not be compared with corresponding estimates presented in previous reports for data years prior to 2007. Estimates for 2002 to 2006 for these drug categories in this report, as well as in the 2007 and 2008 reports, incorporate statistical adjustments that enable year-to-year comparisons to be made over the period from 2002 to 2011.

The calculation of NSDUH person-level weights includes a calibration step that results in weights that are consistent with population control totals obtained from the U.S. Census Bureau (see Section A.3.3 in Appendix A). These control totals are based on the most recently available decennial census; the Census Bureau updates these control totals annually to account for population changes after the census. For the analysis weights in the 2002 through 2010 NSDUHs, the control totals were derived from the 2000 census data; for the 2011 NSDUH weights, the control totals were based on data from the 2010 census. This shift to the 2010 census data could affect comparisons between substance use estimates in 2011 and those from prior years. Analyses of the impact of this change in NSDUH weights show that estimates of the number of substance users for some demographic groups were substantially affected, but percentages of substance users within these groups (i.e., rates) were not. Section B.4.3 in Appendix B provides results of investigations of the change to use of 2010 census control totals for the 2011 NSDUH.

Format of Report and Data Presentation

This report has separate chapters that discuss findings on the use of illicit drugs; use of alcohol; use of tobacco products; initiation of substance use; prevention-related issues; and substance dependence, abuse, and treatment. A final chapter summarizes the results and discusses key findings on marijuana and heroin use and the nonmedical use of prescription drugs, including comparisons with other survey results. The data and findings described in this report are based on a comprehensive set of tables, referred to as "detailed tables," that include population estimates (e.g., numbers of drug users), rates (e.g., percentages of the population using drugs), and standard errors of estimates. These tables are available separately on the SAMHSA Web site (http://www.samhsa.gov/data/). In addition, the tables are accompanied by a glossary that covers key definitions used in this report and in the detailed tables. Appendices in this report describe the survey (Appendix A), technical details on the statistical methods and measurement (Appendix B), and other sources of related data (Appendix C). A list of references cited in the report (Appendix D) and contributors to this report (Appendix E) also are provided.

Text, figures, and detailed tables present prevalence measures for the population in terms of both the number of persons and the percentage of the population and by lifetime (i.e., ever used), past year, and past month use. Analyses focus primarily on past month use, also referred to as "current use." Where applicable, footnotes are included in tables and figures to indicate whether the 2011 estimates are significantly different from 2010 or earlier estimates. In addition, some estimates are presented based on data combined from two or more survey years to increase precision of the estimates; those estimates are annual averages based on multiple years of data.

During regular data collection and processing checks for the 2011 NSDUH, data errors were identified. These errors affected the data for Pennsylvania (2006 to 2010) and Maryland (2008 and 2009). Data and estimates for 2011 were not affected. The errors had minimal impact on the national estimates. The only estimates appreciably affected in the report and detailed tables are estimates for the mid-Atlantic division and the Northeast region. Cases with erroneous data were removed from data files, and the remaining cases were reweighted to provide representative estimates. Therefore, some estimates for 2010 and other prior years in the 2011 national findings report and the 2011 detailed tables will differ from corresponding estimates found in some previous reports and tables. Further information is available in Section B.3.5 in Appendix B of this report.

All estimates presented in the report have met the criteria for statistical reliability (see Section B.2.2 in Appendix B). Estimates that do not meet these criteria are suppressed and do not appear in tables, figures, or text. Statistical tests have been conducted for all statements appearing in the text of the report that compare estimates between years or subgroups of the population. Suppressed estimates are not included in statistical tests of comparisons. For example, a statement that "whites had the highest prevalence" means that the rate among whites was higher than the rate among all nonsuppressed racial/ethnic subgroups, but not necessarily higher than the rate among a subgroup for which the estimate was suppressed. Unless explicitly stated that a difference is not statistically significant, all statements that describe differences are significant at the .05 level. Statistically significant differences are described using terms such as "higher," "lower," "increased," and "decreased." Statements that use terms such as "similar," "no difference," "same," or "remained steady" to describe the relationship between estimates denote that a difference is not statistically significant. When a set of estimates for survey years or population subgroups is presented without a statement of comparison, statistically significant differences among these estimates are not implied and testing may not have been conducted.

Data are presented for racial/ethnic groups based on guidelines for collecting and reporting race and ethnicity data (Office of Management and Budget [OMB], 1997). Because respondents could choose more than one racial group, a "two or more races" category is included for persons who reported more than one category (i.e., white, black or African American, American Indian or Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, Other Pacific Islander, Asian, Other). Respondents choosing both Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander but no other categories are classified as being in the "Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander" category instead of the "two or more race" category. Except for the "Hispanic or Latino" group, the racial/ethnic groups include only non-Hispanics. The category "Hispanic or Latino" includes Hispanics of any race.

Data in this report also are presented for four U.S. geographic regions as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau (Figure 1.1). Other geographic comparisons also are made based on county type, a variable that reflects different levels of urbanicity and metropolitan area inclusion of counties. This county classification was originally developed and subsequently updated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (Butler & Beale, 1994). Each county is either inside or outside a metropolitan statistical area (MSA), based on metropolitan area definitions issued by the OMB in June 2003 (OMB, 2003). Large metropolitan areas have a population of 1 million or more. Small metropolitan areas have a population of fewer than 1 million. Nonmetropolitan areas are outside of MSAs. Counties in nonmetropolitan areas are further classified based on the number of people in the county who live in an urbanized area, as defined by the Census Bureau at the subcounty level. "Urbanized" counties have a population of 20,000 or more in urbanized areas, "less urbanized" counties have at least 2,500 but fewer than 20,000 population in urbanized areas, and "completely rural" counties have populations of fewer than 2,500 in urbanized areas.

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Figure 1.1 U.S. Census Bureau Regions

Figure 1.1

Other NSDUH Reports and Data

Other reports focusing on specific topics of interest will be produced using the 2011 NSDUH data and made available on SAMHSA's Web site. In particular, data on mental health will be discussed in a separate report to be released later this year: Results from the 2011 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Mental Health Findings. State-level estimates for substance use and mental health for 2010-2011 are scheduled to be released by early 2013.

The detailed tables, other descriptive reports and in-depth analytic reports focusing on specific issues or populations, and methodological information on NSDUH are all available at http://www.samhsa.gov/data/. In addition, CBHSQ makes public use data files available through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Data Archive at http://www.datafiles.samhsa.gov. Currently, files are available from the 1979 to 2010 surveys. The 2011 NSDUH public use file will be available by the end of 2012.

2. Illicit Drug Use

The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) obtains information on nine categories of illicit drug use: use of marijuana, cocaine, heroin, hallucinogens, and inhalants, as well as the nonmedical use of prescription-type pain relievers, tranquilizers, stimulants, and sedatives. In these categories, hashish is included with marijuana, and crack is considered a form of cocaine. Several drugs are grouped under the hallucinogens category, including LSD, PCP, peyote, mescaline, psilocybin mushrooms, and "Ecstasy" (MDMA). Inhalants include a variety of substances, such as nitrous oxide, amyl nitrite, cleaning fluids, gasoline, spray paint, other aerosol sprays, and glue. Respondents are asked to report use of inhalants to get high but not to report times when they accidentally inhaled a substance.

The four categories of prescription-type drugs (pain relievers, tranquilizers, stimulants, and sedatives) cover numerous medications that currently are or have been available by prescription. They also include drugs within these groupings that originally were prescription medications but currently may be manufactured and distributed illegally, such as methamphetamine, which is included under stimulants. Respondents are asked to report only "nonmedical" use of these drugs, defined as use without a prescription of the individual's own or simply for the experience or feeling the drugs caused. Use of over-the-counter drugs and legitimate use of prescription drugs are not included. NSDUH reports combine the four prescription-type drug groups into a category referred to as "psychotherapeutics."

Estimates of "illicit drug use" reported from NSDUH reflect the use of any of the nine drug categories listed above. Use of alcohol and tobacco products, while illegal for youths, is not included in these estimates, but is discussed in Chapters 3 and 4.

In 2011, an estimated 22.5 million Americans aged 12 or older were current (past month) illicit drug users, meaning they had used an illicit drug during the month prior to the survey interview (Figure 2.1). This estimate represents 8.7 percent of the population aged 12 or older.

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Figure 2.1 Past Month Illicit Drug Use among Persons Aged 12 or Older: 2011

Figure 2.1

¹ Illicit Drugs include marijuana/hashish, cocaine (including crack), heroin, hallucinogens, inhalants, or prescription-type psychotherapeutics used nonmedically.

The overall rate of current illicit drug use among persons aged 12 or older in 2011 (8.7 percent) was similar to the rates in 2010 (8.9 percent), 2009 (8.7 percent), and 2002 (8.3 percent), but it was higher than the rates in most years from 2003 through 2008 (Figure 2.2).

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Figure 2.2 Past Month Use of Selected Illicit Drugs among Persons Aged 12 or Older: 2002-2011

Figure 2.2

⁺Difference between this estimate and the 2011 estimate is statistically significant at the .05 level.

In 2011, marijuana was the most commonly used illicit drug, with 18.1 million current users. It was used by 80.5 percent of current illicit drug users. About two thirds (64.3 percent) of illicit drug users used only marijuana in the past month. Also, in 2011, 8.0 million persons aged 12 or older were current users of illicit drugs other than marijuana (or 35.7 percent of illicit drug users aged 12 or older). Current use of other drugs but not marijuana was reported by 19.5 percent of illicit drug users, and 16.2 percent of illicit drug users reported using both marijuana and other drugs.
The number and percentage of persons aged 12 or older who were current users of marijuana in 2011 (18.1 million or 7.0 percent) were similar to the estimates for 2010 (17.4 million or 6.9 percent). The 2011 rate of current marijuana use also was similar to the rate in 2009 (6.7 percent), but it was higher than those in 2002 through 2008. Between 2007 and 2011, for example, the rate of use increased from 5.8 to 7.0 percent, and the number of users increased from 14.5 million to 18.1 million.
An estimated 8.0 million people aged 12 or older (3.1 percent) were current users of illicit drugs other than marijuana in 2011. The majority of these users (6.1 million persons or 2.4 percent of the population) were nonmedical users of psychotherapeutic drugs, including 4.5 million users of pain relievers, 1.8 million users of tranquilizers, 970,000 users of stimulants, and 231,000 users of sedatives.
The number and percentage of persons aged 12 or older who were current nonmedical users of psychotherapeutic drugs in 2011 (6.1 million or 2.4 percent) were lower than those in 2010 (7.0 million or 2.7 percent) and 2009 (7.0 million or 2.8 percent) (Figure 2.2).
The number and percentage of persons aged 12 or older who were current nonmedical users of pain relievers in 2011 (4.5 million or 1.7 percent) were lower than those in 2010 (5.1 million or 2.0 percent) and 2009 (5.3 million or 2.1 percent) (Figure 2.3).

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Figure 2.3 Past Month Nonmedical Use of Types of Psychotherapeutic Drugs among Persons Aged 12 or Older: 2002-2011

Figure 2.3

⁺ Difference between this estimate and the 2011 estimate is statistically significant at the .05 level.

The number and percentage of persons aged 12 or older who were current nonmedical users of stimulants in 2011 (970,000 or 0.4 percent) were similar to those in 2010 (1.1 million or 0.4 percent), but lower than those in 2009 (1.3 million or 0.5 percent).
The number and percentage of persons aged 12 or older who were current users of methamphetamine in 2011 (439,000 or 0.2 percent) were similar to those from 2007 through 2010, but lower than those from 2002 through 2006. The previous numbers and percentages were 353,000 (0.1 percent) in 2010, 502,000 (0.2 percent) in 2009, 314,000 (0.1 percent) in 2008, 530,000 (0.2 percent) in 2007, 731,000 (0.3 percent) in 2006, 628,000 (0.3 percent) in 2005, 706,000 (0.3 percent) in 2004, 726,000 (0.3 percent) in 2003, and 683,000 (0.3 percent) in 2002.
The number and percentage of persons aged 12 or older who were current users of cocaine in 2011 (1.4 million or 0.5 percent) were similar to those in 2010 (1.5 million or 0.6 percent) and 2009 (1.6 million or 0.7 percent), but lower than those from 2002 through 2008 (Figure 2.2). The previous numbers and percentages were 1.9 million (0.7 percent) in 2008, 2.1 million (0.8 percent) in 2007, 2.4 million (1.0 percent) in 2006, 2.4 million (1.0 percent) in 2005, 2.0 million (0.8 percent) in 2004, 2.3 million (1.0 percent) in 2003, and 2.0 million (0.9 percent) in 2002.
The number and percentage of persons aged 12 or older who were current heroin users in 2011 (281,000 or 0.1 percent) were similar to those from 2006 through 2010 (239,000 or 0.1 percent in 2010; 193,000 or 0.1 percent in 2009; 213,000 or 0.1 percent in 2008; 161,000 or 0.1 percent in 2007; and 339,000 or 0.1 percent in 2006), but were higher than those in 2005 (136,000 or 0.1 percent) and 2003 (119,000 or 0.1 percent) (Figure 2.4). Additionally, the number and percentage of persons aged 12 or older who were past year heroin users in 2011 (620,000 or 0.2 percent) were similar to those in 2008 to 2010 (621,000 or 0.2 percent in 2010; 582,000 or 0.2 percent in 2009; and 455,000 or 0.2 percent in 2008) and in 2006 (560,000 or 0.2 percent), but were higher than those from 2003 through 2005 and in 2007.

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Figure 2.4 Past Month and Past Year Heroin Use among Persons Aged 12 or Older: 2002-2011

Figure 2.4

⁺ Difference between this estimate and the 2011 estimate is statistically significant at the .05 level.

The number and percentage of persons aged 12 or older who were current users of hallucinogens in 2011 (972,000 or 0.4 percent) were lower than those in 2010 (1.2 million or 0.5 percent), 2009 (1.3 million or 0.5 percent), and 2002 (1.2 million or 0.5 percent) (Figure 2.2).

Age

The rate of current illicit drug use varied by age. Among youths aged 12 to 17 in 2011, the rate increased from 3.3 percent at ages 12 or 13 to 9.2 percent at ages 14 or 15 to 17.2 percent at ages 16 or 17 (Figure 2.5). The highest rate of current illicit drug use was among 18 to 20 year olds (23.8 percent), with the next highest rate among 21 to 25 year olds (19.9 percent). Thereafter, the rate generally declined with age, although not all declines were significant.

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Figure 2.5 Past Month Illicit Drug Use among Persons Aged 12 or Older, by Age: 2010 and 2011

Figure 2.5

⁺ Difference between this estimate and the 2011 estimate is statistically significant at the .05 level.

In 2011, adults aged 26 or older were less likely to be current users of illicit drugs than youths aged 12 to 17 or young adults aged 18 to 25 (6.3 vs. 10.1 and 21.4 percent, respectively) (Figure 2.6). However, there were more current users of illicit drugs aged 26 or older (12.6 million) than users aged 12 to 17 (2.5 million) and users aged 18 to 25 (7.4 million) combined.

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Figure 2.6 Past Month Illicit Drug Use among Persons Aged 12 or Older, by Age: 2002-2011

Figure 2.6

⁺ Difference between this estimate and the 2011 estimate is statistically significant at the .05 level.

Youths Aged 12 to 17

The rate of current illicit drug use among youths aged 12 to 17 remained unchanged between 2009 and 2011 (10.1 percent in each year), but it was higher than the rate in 2008 (9.3 percent). Between 2002 and 2008, the rate declined from 11.6 to 9.3 percent (Figure 2.7).

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Figure 2.7 Past Month Use of Selected Illicit Drugs among Youths Aged 12 to 17: 2002-2011

Figure 2.7

⁺ Difference between this estimate and the 2011 estimate is statistically significant at the .05 level.

In 2011, 10.1 percent of youths aged 12 to 17 were current illicit drug users, with 7.9 percent current users of marijuana, 2.8 percent current nonmedical users of psychotherapeutic drugs, 0.9 percent current users of hallucinogens, 0.9 percent current users of inhalants, and 0.3 percent current users of cocaine.
Among youths aged 12 to 17, the specific illicit drugs used in the past month varied by age in 2011. Among 12 or 13 year olds, 1.3 percent used marijuana and 1.3 percent used psychotherapeutic drugs nonmedically (which was a decrease from 2.0 percent in 2010, with most of the decrease occurring in the nonmedical use of pain relievers from 1.8 percent in 2010 to 1.1 percent in 2011). Among 14 or 15 year olds, 6.7 percent used marijuana, 2.6 percent used psychotherapeutic drugs nonmedically, and 0.8 percent used hallucinogens. Among 16 or 17 year olds, 15.1 percent used marijuana, 4.2 percent used psychotherapeutic drugs nonmedically, 1.6 percent used hallucinogens, and 0.5 percent used cocaine. Rates of current use of inhalants were 1.0 percent for 12 or 13 year olds, 0.9 percent for 14 or 15 year olds, and 0.7 percent for 16 to 17 year olds.
After gradually declining from 11.6 percent in 2002 to 9.3 percent in 2008, the rate of current illicit drug use among 12 to 17 year olds increased to 10.1 percent in 2009, 2010, and 2011 (Figure 2.7). Current marijuana use declined from 8.2 percent in 2002 to 6.7 percent in 2008 before increasing to 7.4 percent in 2009 and 2010; the prevalence of current marijuana use in 2011 (7.9 percent) also was greater than that in 2008, but it was similar to the rates in 2009 and 2010. Current nonmedical use of psychotherapeutic drugs declined from 4.0 percent in 2002 and 2003 to 2.8 percent in 2011. This includes the decrease in the current nonmedical use of pain relievers from 3.2 percent in 2002 to 2.3 percent in 2011.

Young Adults Aged 18 to 25

In 2011, the rate of current illicit drug use was higher among young adults aged 18 to 25 (21.4 percent) than among youths aged 12 to 17 (10.1 percent) and adults aged 26 or older (6.3 percent). Among young adults, the 2011 rate was similar to the 2009 (21.4 percent) and 2010 (21.6 percent) rates, but it was higher than the 2008 rate (19.7 percent) (Figure 2.8).

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Figure 2.8 Past Month Use of Selected Illicit Drugs among Young Adults Aged 18 to 25: 2002-2011

Figure 2.8

⁺ Difference between this estimate and the 2011 estimate is statistically significant at the .05 level.

Among young adults, the 2011 rate of current marijuana use (19.0 percent) was similar to the 2009 (18.2 percent) and 2010 (18.5 percent) rates, but it was higher than the 2008 rate (16.6 percent).
In 2011, the rate of current nonmedical use of psychotherapeutic drugs among young adults aged 18 to 25 was 5.0 percent, which was lower than the rates from 2003 through 2010. Similarly, in 2011, the rate of current nonmedical use of pain relievers was 3.6 percent, which was lower than the rates from 2002 through 2010. Rates of current nonmedical use of pain relievers among young adults for 2002 to 2010 ranged from 4.1 percent in 2002 to 5.0 percent in 2006; the rate in 2010 was 4.4 percent.
In 2011, the rate of current use of cocaine among young adults aged 18 to 25 was 1.4 percent, which was similar to the rates from 2008 through 2010, but was lower than the rates from 2002 through 2007.

Adults Aged 26 or Older

In 2011, the rate of current illicit drug use among adults aged 26 or older was 6.3 percent, with 4.8 percent current users of marijuana and 1.9 percent current nonmedical users of psychotherapeutic drugs. Less than 1 percent each were current users of cocaine (0.4 percent), heroin (0.1 percent), and inhalants (0.1 percent). These rates were similar to those in 2009 and 2010. For example, 6.3 percent of adults aged 26 or older in 2009 and 6.6 percent of those in 2010 were current illicit drug users.
Among adults aged 50 to 59, the rate of current illicit drug use increased from 2.7 to 6.3 percent between 2002 and 2011 (Figure 2.9). For those aged 50 to 54, the rate increased from 3.4 percent in 2002 to 6.7 percent in 2011. Among those aged 55 to 59, current illicit drug use increased from 1.9 percent in 2002 to 6.0 percent in 2011. These patterns and trends partially reflect the aging into these age groups of members of the baby boom cohort, whose rates of illicit drug use have been higher than those of older cohorts. The baby boom cohort refers to persons born in the United States after World War II between 1946 and 1964 (Han, Gfroerer, & Colliver, 2009).

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Figure 2.9 Past Month Illicit Drug Use among Adults Aged 50 to 59: 2002-2011

Figure 2.9

⁺ Difference between this estimate and the 2011 estimate is statistically significant at the .05 level.

Gender

In 2011, as in prior years, the rate of current illicit drug use among persons aged 12 or older was higher for males (11.1 percent) than for females (6.5 percent). Males were more likely than females to be current users of several different illicit drugs, including marijuana (9.3 vs. 4.9 percent), nonmedical use of prescription drugs (2.6 vs. 2.2 percent), cocaine (0.7 vs. 0.4 percent), and hallucinogens (0.5 vs. 0.3 percent). The 2011 rates for both males and females aged 12 or older were similar to those reported in 2010, with the exception of a decrease in the current nonmedical use of prescription drugs among females (down from 2.5 percent in 2010).
In 2011, the rate of current illicit drug use was higher among males aged 12 to 17 than females aged 12 to 17 (10.8 vs. 9.3 percent), which represents a change from 2010, when current illicit drug use did not differ significantly between males and females (10.4 and 9.8 percent). Males aged 12 to 17 also were more likely than females to be current marijuana users (9.0 vs. 6.7 percent). However, females aged 12 to 17 were more likely than males to be current nonmedical users of psychotherapeutic drugs (3.2 vs. 2.4 percent) and current nonmedical users of pain relievers (2.6 vs. 1.9 percent).
The rate of current marijuana use among males aged 12 to 17 declined from 9.1 percent in 2002 to 6.9 percent in 2006, then increased between 2006 and 2009 (8.4 percent); rates remained stable after 2009 (8.4 percent in 2010 and 9.0 percent in 2011) (Figure 2.10). Among females aged 12 to 17, the rate of current marijuana use changed little between 2002 (7.2 percent) and 2004 (7.1 percent), then declined to 5.8 percent in 2007 before increasing in 2011 to 6.7 percent.

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Figure 2.10 Past Month Marijuana Use among Youths Aged 12 to 17, by Gender: 2002-2011

Figure 2.10

⁺ Difference between this estimate and the 2011 estimate is statistically significant at the .05 level.

Pregnant Women

Among pregnant women aged 15 to 44, 5.0 percent were current illicit drug users based on data averaged across 2010 and 2011. This was lower than the rate among women in this age group who were not pregnant (10.8 percent). Among pregnant women aged 15 to 44, the average rate of current illicit drug use in 2010-2011 (5.0 percent) was not significantly different from the rate averaged across 2008-2009 (4.5 percent).
The rate of current illicit drug use in the combined 2010-2011 data was 20.9 percent among pregnant women aged 15 to 17, 8.2 percent among pregnant women aged 18 to 25, and 2.2 percent among pregnant women aged 26 to 44. None of these rates were significantly different from those in the combined 2008-2009 data (15.8 percent among pregnant women aged 15 to 17, 7.1 percent among pregnant women aged 18 to 25, and 2.3 percent among pregnant women aged 26 to 44).

Race/Ethnicity

In 2011, among persons aged 12 or older, the rate of current illicit drug use was lowest among Asians (3.8 percent) (Figure 2.11). The rates were 8.4 percent among Hispanics, 8.7 percent among whites, 10.0 percent among blacks, 11.0 percent among Native Hawaiians or Other Pacific Islanders, 13.4 percent among American Indians or Alaska Natives, and 13.5 percent among persons of two or more races.

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Figure 2.11 Past Month Illicit Drug Use among Persons Aged 12 or Older, by Race/Ethnicity: 2002-2011

Figure 2.11

⁺ Difference between this estimate and the 2011 estimate is statistically significant at the .05 level.
Note: Sample sizes for American Indians or Alaska Natives and for persons of two or more races were too small for reliable trend presentation for these groups. Due to low precision, estimates for Native Hawaiians or Other Pacific Islanders are not shown.

There were no statistically significant differences in the rates of current illicit drug use between 2010 and 2011 or between 2002 and 2011 for any of the racial/ethnic groups, except for Hispanics. The current illicit drug use rate for Hispanics increased between 2002 and 2011 (from 7.2 to 8.4 percent).

Education

Illicit drug use in 2011 varied by the educational status of adults aged 18 or older, with the rate of current illicit drug use lower among college graduates (5.4 percent) than those with some college education (10.4 percent), high school graduates (8.9 percent), and those who had not graduated from high school (11.1 percent).

College Students

In 2011, the rate of current use of illicit drugs was 22.0 percent among full-time college students aged 18 to 22. This was similar to the rate among other persons aged 18 to 22 (23.4 percent), which included part-time college students, students in other grades or types of institutions, and nonstudents.
In 2011, the rate of current illicit drug use was 25.8 percent among male full-time college students aged 18 to 22, which was higher than the rate among female full-time college students aged 18 to 22 (18.9 percent). Similarly, 23.7 percent of male full-time college students aged 18 to 22 were current marijuana users compared with 17.5 percent of female full-time college students aged 18 to 22.

Employment

Current illicit drug use differed by employment status in 2011. Among adults aged 18 or older, the rate of current illicit drug use was higher for those who were unemployed (17.2 percent) than for those who were employed full time (8.0 percent), employed part time (11.6 percent), or "other" (6.4 percent) (which includes students, persons keeping house or caring for children full time, retired or disabled persons, or other persons not in the labor force) (Figure 2.12).

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Figure 2.12 Past Month Illicit Drug Use among Persons Aged 18 or Older, by Employment Status: 2010 and 2011

Figure 2.12

⁺ Difference between this estimate and the 2011 estimate is statistically significant at the .05 level.
¹ The Other Employment category includes students, persons keeping house or caring for children full time, retired or disabled persons, or other persons not in the labor force.

Although the rate of current illicit drug use was higher among unemployed persons in 2011 compared with those who were either employed full time, employed part time, or "other," most of these users were employed. Of the 19.9 million current illicit drug users aged 18 or older in 2011, 13.1 million (65.7 percent) were employed either full or part time.

Geographic Area

Among persons aged 12 or older, the rate of current illicit drug use in 2011 was 10.5 percent in the West, 9.2 percent in the Northeast, 8.5 percent in the Midwest, and 7.5 percent in the South.
In 2011, the rate of current illicit drug use among persons aged 12 or older was 9.2 percent in large metropolitan counties, 8.7 percent in small metropolitan counties, and 7.2 percent in nonmetropolitan counties as a group (Figure 2.13). Within nonmetropolitan areas, the rate was 8.5 percent in urbanized counties, 6.3 percent in less urbanized counties, and 5.7 percent in completely rural counties.

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Figure 2.13 Past Month Illicit Drug Use among Persons Aged 12 or Older, by County Type: 2011

Figure 2.13

Criminal Justice Populations

In 2011, an estimated 1.7 million adults aged 18 or older were on parole or other supervised release from prison at some time during the past year. More than one quarter of these (26.5 percent) were current illicit drug users, with 20.4 percent reporting current use of marijuana and 9.1 percent reporting current nonmedical use of psychotherapeutic drugs. These rates were higher than those reported by adults aged 18 or older who were not on parole or supervised release during the past year (8.4 percent for illicit drug use, 6.8 percent for marijuana use, and 2.3 percent for nonmedical use of psychotherapeutic drugs).
In 2011, an estimated 4.7 million adults aged 18 or older were on probation at some time during the past year. More than one quarter (28.5 percent) were current illicit drug users, with 23.6 percent reporting current use of marijuana and 10.1 percent reporting current nonmedical use of psychotherapeutic drugs. These rates were higher than those reported by adults who were not on probation during the past year (8.2 percent for illicit drug use, 6.6 percent for marijuana use, and 2.2 percent for nonmedical use of psychotherapeutic drugs).

Frequency of Marijuana Use

In 2011, an estimated 16.7 percent of past year marijuana users aged 12 or older used marijuana on 300 or more days within the past 12 months. This translates into nearly 5.0 million persons using marijuana on a daily or almost daily basis over a 12-month period.
In 2011, an estimated 39.1 percent (7.1 million) of current marijuana users aged 12 or older used marijuana on 20 or more days in the past month. This was similar to the 2010 estimate of 39.8 percent or 6.9 million users.

Association with Cigarette and Alcohol Use

In 2011, the rate of current illicit drug use was approximately 9.5 times higher among youths aged 12 to 17 who smoked cigarettes in the past month (57.6 percent) than it was among those who did not smoke cigarettes in the past month (6.1 percent). Moreover, the 2011 rate of current illicit drug use among youths aged 12 to 17 who smoked cigarettes in the past month was an increase from the 2010 estimate of 52.7 percent.
In 2011, the rate of current illicit drug use was associated with the level of past month alcohol use. Among youths aged 12 to 17 who were heavy drinkers (i.e., consumed five or more drinks on the same occasion on each of 5 or more days in the past 30 days), 70.4 percent were current illicit drug users, which was higher than the rate among those who were not current alcohol users (5.3 percent). Additionally, among youths aged 12 to 17 who were binge but not heavy drinkers (i.e., consumed five or more drinks on the same occasion on 1 to 4 days in the past 30 days), 44.7 percent were also current illicit drug users.
In 2011, the rate of current illicit drug use was approximately 17 times higher among youths aged 12 to 17 who both smoked cigarettes and drank alcohol in the past month (68.7 percent) than it was among those who neither smoked cigarettes nor drank alcohol in the past month (4.0 percent).

Driving Under the Influence of Illicit Drugs

In 2011, 9.4 million persons or 3.7 percent of the population aged 12 or older reported driving under the influence of illicit drugs during the past year. This was a decrease from the rate in 2010 (4.2 percent) and the rate in 2002 (4.7 percent). Across age groups, the rate of driving under the influence of illicit drugs in 2011 was highest among young adults aged 18 to 25 (11.6 percent); this rate for young adults in 2011 was lower than the rate in 2010 (12.7 percent). Additionally, the rate of driving under the influence of illicit drugs during the past year decreased among adults aged 26 or older (from 2.9 percent in 2010 to 2.4 percent in 2011).

Source of Prescription Drugs

Past year nonmedical users of psychotherapeutic drugs are asked how they obtained the drugs they most recently used nonmedically. Rates averaged across 2010 and 2011 show that over one half of the nonmedical users of pain relievers, tranquilizers, stimulants, and sedatives aged 12 or older got the prescription drugs they most recently used "from a friend of relative for free." About 4 in 5 of these nonmedical users who obtained prescription drugs from a friend or relative for free indicated that their friend or relative had obtained the drugs from one doctor.
Among persons aged 12 or older in 2010-2011 who used pain relievers nonmedically in the past year, 54.2 percent got the pain relievers they most recently used from a friend or relative for free (Figure 2.14). Another 12.2 percent bought them from a friend of relative (which was higher than the 9.9 percent in 2008-2009). In addition, 4.4 percent of these nonmedical users in 2010-2011 took pain relievers from a friend or relative without asking. More than one in six (18.1 percent) indicated that they got the drugs they most recently used through a prescription from one doctor. Less than 1 in 20 users (3.9 percent) got pain relievers from a drug dealer or other stranger, 1.9 percent got pain relievers from more than one doctor, and 0.3 percent bought them on the Internet. These other percentages were similar to those reported in 2008-2009.

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Figure 2.14 Source Where Pain Relievers Were Obtained for Most Recent Nonmedical Use among Past Year Users Aged 12 or Older: 2010-2011

Figure 2.14

Note: The percentages do not add to 100 percent due to rounding.
¹ The Other category includes the sources "Wrote Fake Prescription," "Stole from Doctor's Office/Clinic/Hospital/Pharmacy," and "Some Other Way."

Among persons aged 12 or older in 2010-2011 who used pain relievers nonmedically in the past year and indicated that they most recently obtained the drugs from a friend or relative for free in the past year, 81.6 percent of the friends or relatives obtained the drugs from just one doctor (Figure 2.14). About 1 in 20 of these past year nonmedical users of pain relievers (5.5 percent) reported that the friend or relative got the pain relievers from another friend or relative for free, 3.9 percent reported that the friend or relative bought the drugs from a friend or relative, 1.9 percent reported that the friend or relative bought the drugs from a drug dealer or other stranger, and 1.8 percent reported that the friend or relative took the drugs from another friend or relative without asking.

3. Alcohol Use

The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) includes questions about the recency and frequency of consumption of alcoholic beverages, such as beer, wine, whiskey, brandy, and mixed drinks. A "drink" is defined as a can or bottle of beer, a glass of wine or a wine cooler, a shot of liquor, or a mixed drink with liquor in it. Times when the respondent only had a sip or two from a drink are not considered to be consumption. For this report, estimates for the prevalence of alcohol use are reported primarily at three levels defined for both males and females and for all ages as follows:

Current (past month) use - At least one drink in the past 30 days.

Binge use - Five or more drinks on the same occasion (i.e., at the same time or within a couple of hours of each other) on at least 1 day in the past 30 days.

Heavy use - Five or more drinks on the same occasion on each of 5 or more days in the past 30 days.

These levels are not mutually exclusive categories of use; heavy use is included in estimates of binge and current use, and binge use is included in estimates of current use.

This chapter is divided into two main sections. Section 3.1 describes trends and patterns of alcohol use among the population aged 12 or older. Section 3.2 is concerned particularly with the use of alcohol by persons aged 12 to 20. These persons are under the legal drinking age in all 50 States and the District of Columbia.

3.1. Alcohol Use among Persons Aged 12 or Older

Slightly more than half (51.8 percent) of Americans aged 12 or older reported being current drinkers of alcohol in the 2011 survey, similar to the rate in 2010 (51.8 percent). This translates to an estimated 133.4 million current drinkers in 2011.
Nearly one quarter (22.6 percent) of persons aged 12 or older participated in binge drinking at least once in the 30 days prior to the survey in 2011. This translates to about 58.3 million people. The rate in 2011 was similar to the rate in 2010 (23.1 percent).
In 2011, heavy drinking was reported by 6.2 percent of the population aged 12 or older, or 15.9 million people. This percentage was lower than the rate of heavy drinking in 2010 (6.7 percent).

Age

In 2011, rates of current alcohol use were 2.5 percent among persons aged 12 or 13, 11.3 percent of persons aged 14 or 15, 25.3 percent of 16 or 17 year olds, 46.8 percent of those aged 18 to 20, and 69.7 percent of 21 to 25 year olds (Figure 3.1). These estimates were similar to the rates reported in 2010.

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