Teens: Who's Using Marijuana?

by SAMHSA

Major Statistics

Marijuana has long been the most frequently used illegal drug. But what about today's youths - how many of them are using marijuana? How young are they when they start using the drug? Are some youths more likely than others to use marijuana? Is marijuana use among young people increasing? The latest national survey results provide answers to help parents and caregivers keep a finger on the ever-changing pulse of teen drug use.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) is administered to youths as young as age 12.1 Here are some important numbers from the 2002 survey (published in 2003) and what they mean regarding marijuana use among youths.

19.6

The percentage of 12- to 17-year-olds who reported ever using marijuana. The good news: This rate of lifetime marijuana use dipped from 20.6 percent in 2002.

4.1 Million

More than 4.1 million persons aged 16 to 20 reported driving under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs during the past year. That is more than the combined populations of all ages in Los Angeles, Boston, and Seattle.2

4,830

The number of 12- to 17-year-olds who began using marijuana every day in 2002 - that equals exactly 100 schoolbuses filled completely with young people every day! That's 36,500 schoolbuses every year or slightly more than the combined populations of Dallas, TX, and Washington, DC, in 2000. The good news: The number of youths who began using marijuana has fallen for 2 consecutive years.

282,000

The number of kids aged 12 to 17 who began using marijuana every day in 2003. That's almost the total population of St. Paul, MN. The good news: This number was down from 358,000 in 2002.

7.2

The percentage of 14- to 15-year-olds who reported using marijuana in the past month. That's an average of 3 kids in every math class of 40 students. By the time these kids turn 16 and 17, that number will double.

15.6

The percentage of 16- to 17-year-olds who reported using marijuana in the past month. That equals 6 kids in every history class of 40 students.

Another national survey, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's 2003 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), gives us a new look at marijuana use and other risk behaviors among students in public and private high schools across the United States.3 Take a look at these key numbers on marijuana use from the latest survey.

22.4

The percentage of students nationwide who reported current marijuana use - using on 1 or more of the 30 days before the survey. That equals an average of 10 kids riding on a schoolbus that holds 45 students.The good news: Current marijuana use among high school students has fallen by nearly one-sixth since the 1999 YRBS.Alert: Rates of current marijuana use vary greatly across States and local areas. The percentages of students who reported using marijuana in the past 30 days ranged from 11.4 percent to 30.6 percent in State YRBS surveys (on a schoolbus holding 48 students, that's a difference between 5 kids and 15 kids) and from 15.3 percent to 28.7 percent in local surveys (or, on a schoolbus, the difference between 7 kids and 14 kids).

9.9

The percentage of students nationwide who tried marijuana before the age of 13. Males were more likely than females to have used marijuana before the age of 13. That's an average of 3 students in a middle school algebra class of 30 students or 5 kids riding on a schoolbus filled with 48 classmates. Alert: Ninth- and 10th-grade students were more likely to have used marijuana before age 13 than students in the 11th and 12th grades.

5.8

The percentage of students who used marijuana on school property in the past 30 days. That means that 12 kids out of about 200 kids could be using marijuana during lunch period while they are still at school.

Alert: Ninth-grade girls were more likely than 12th-grade girls to have used marijuana on school property. The rate of marijuana use on school property by 9th-grade girls was 5.1 percent, up from 3 percent in 2001. That equals 2 ninth-grade girls practicing in a 40-voice choir in 2003 - about double the number in 2001.

Recent surveys have brought good news about falling rates of marijuana use among teens. Still, an alarming number of youths are using the drug. Too many of them think that using marijuana is not risky, despite scientific evidence that it is. Parents and caregivers need to keep working to see that more American youths get the right message about the dangers of marijuana.

About the Author

www.samhsa.gov
SAMHSA works to improve the quality and availability of substance abuse prevention, alcohol and drug addiction treatment, and mental health services. Includes links to support groups, information resources, events and articles.