The Prevention of Adolescent Drug Abuse

Abstract

Drug abuse, particularly among adolescents and young adults, though beginning to recede from the epidemic levels observed in the late 1970’s, remains a serious national health problem. This conclusion is based in large part upon the results of the national survey of high school seniors, which has been implemented yearly since 1975 by Dr. Lloyd Johnston (Johnston, 1982). Information is gathered both on usage patterns and attitudes towards use for a number of drugs. For several years, the survey showed a progressive increase in drug usage by high school seniors which peaked in 1978, and has been followed by a moderate decrease since then. For example, in 1978, 37.1 percent of high school seniors described themselves as “currently using” marijuana (used in the past 30 days). Alcohol was the only drug more widely used; 72.1 percent of the high school seniors reported current use. Tobacco (cigarettes) was used by 36.7 percent of the students and next highest was the group of stimulants, used by 8.7 percent of student s. The statistic which was of the greatest concern was the large number of “daily users” (used more than 20 times in the past month) of marijuana. In 1978, 10.7 percent of high school seniors reported “daily use” of marijuana, averaging between two and three joints per day.