III. Positive Progress
These data emerge simultaneously with very encouraging reductions in use of other drugs. Cooperative efforts of the Administration and Congress have led to a historic 19% reduction in teenage illicit drug use over the last 4 years. This reduction means that there are approximately 691,000 fewer 8th, 10th, and 12th graders using illicit drugs than in 2001.
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This includes a 30% reduction in the number of methamphetamine lab incidents, in methamphetamine-positive workplace tests, in lifetime methamphetamine use among youths over the past two years. Furthermore, there is a significant increase in 12th graders who disapprove of using amphetamines (MTF). Details for each drug are presented below:
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Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug among this population. Lifetime, past year, and past 30 day marijuana use decreased 12.9 percent, 15.0 percent, and 19.4 percent.
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Reductions in use of the hallucinogens LSD and MDMA (ecstasy) since 2001 have been dramatic, declining as much as a half to nearly two-thirds. Declines in LSD use in all three prevalence categories are nearly two-thirds and declines in the use of ecstasy among these categories range from almost half to nearly two-thirds.
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There were also decreases in some categories of other club drugs, including rohypnol, GHB, and ketamine.
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Use of amphetamines in all three prevalence categories dropped by more than one-quarter: 25.7 percent (from 13.9% to 10.3%), 27.2 percent (from 9.6% to 7.0%), and 30.7 percent (from 4.7% to 3.3%).
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The use of steroids was down 38.2 percent, 36.7 percent, and 29.8 percent for lifetime, past year, and past month use, respectively.
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Lifetime use of heroin and inhalants for all three grades combined declined 13 percent.
