Who Are the Drug Abusers?

 Posted on May 31, 2018 in Drug Crimes

For many years, drug abuse has caused such a negative impact on society, and individuals are still looking to drugs to alleviate their emotional distress. Drug abuse is very dangerous, and can cause all kinds of serious consequences, including time in jail, loss of employment opportunities, and health problems in the future.

An Increase in the Use of Drugs

The use of illegal drugs has been increasing in the United States. Five years ago, in 2013, slightly under 25 million Americans over 12 years old, making up 9.4 percent of the whole population, had used illegal drugs. In 2002, only 8.3 percent of the population had reported using illegal drugs.

The most commonly used illegal drug is marijuana, which is most likely responsible for the increase in drug use and abuse. Since 2007, the use of marijuana has increased, with approximately 19.8 million Americans reporting their use in 2013. In 2007, nearly 14.5 million Americans reported using marijuana.

Nearly 70 percent of new drug users started their experimenting with marijuana. Prescription pain relievers were experimented by 12.5 percent of new drug users. Approximately 6.3 percent of individuals who started using drugs experimented with inhalants. This type of drug is the most common among younger teenagers.

Tranquilizers were experimented by slightly over 5 percent of new drug users. Stimulants were experimented by 2.7 percent of new drug users, with hallucinogens making up 2.6 percent, sedatives making up 0.2 percent, and cocaine making up 0.1 percent.

Five years ago, nearly 1.5 million individuals used cocaine, and 595,000 individuals used methamphetamines.

Age Groups and the Use of Drugs

Most individuals who use drugs have experimented when they were teenagers. In 2013, there were slightly under 3 million new users of illegal drugs, with over 50 percent of those new users were 18 years old or younger. The use of drugs is the highest in individuals between the ages of 18 and 20 years old. Five years ago, approximately 22 percent of individuals in this age group had reported using illegal drugs.

Call a Chicago Drug Crime Lawyer

If you or someone you know has been charged with a drug crime, it is best to seek effective legal representation. At the Law Offices of Hal M. Garfinkel LLC, Chicago Criminal Defense Attorney, we understand your rights, and we will go above and beyond in representing you in your case. To schedule a free initial consultation with our Chicago criminal defense attorneys, please call 312-629-0669 today.

Source:

https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/nationwide-trends