New Federal Study Shows Methamphetamine Use Decreased Between 2002 and 2005
A new analysis of data from The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) shows that past-year use of methamphetamine, a highly addictive stimulant, declined between 2002 and 2005 among persons age 12 or older. Those living in the western part of the U.S. were more likely to have used methamphetamine in the past year than those living in any other part of the country, according to The NSDUH Report: Methamphetamine Use, published by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The study also shows that the number of persons who used methamphetamine for the first time in the 12 months before the survey remained stable between 2002 and 2004 but decreased between 2004 and 2005.
(Media-Newswire.com) - A new analysis of data from The National Survey on Drug Use and Health ( NSDUH ) shows that past-year use of methamphetamine, a highly addictive stimulant, declined between 2002 and 2005 among persons age 12 or older. Those living in the western part of the U.S. were more likely to have used methamphetamine in the past year than those living in any other part of the country, according to The NSDUH Report: Methamphetamine Use, published by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration ( SAMHSA ).
The study also shows that the number of persons who used methamphetamine for the first time in the 12 months before the survey remained stable between 2002 and 2004 but decreased between 2004 and 2005.
Data from SAMHSA’s Treatment Episode Data Set ( TEDS ) showed that in 2004, 8 percent of treatment admissions were for abuse of stimulants as the primary substance of abuse. Methamphetamine/amphetamine accounted for 99 percent of those seeking treatment for abuse of stimulants.
Forty-five percent of treatment admissions in 2004 for methamphetamine/amphetamine use were for women, compared with 26 percent of treatment admissions for alcohol abuse or marijuana use in the same year.
"Methamphetamine is a very destructive drug that can do serious harm to families and entire communities," said SAMHSA Administrator Terry Cline, Ph.D. "We are pleased to see these decreases in use, and SAMHSA is continuing to provide funding opportunities so that communities can fight the use of this insidious drug and provide treatment to those who need it."
John Walters, Director of National Drug Control Policy, also stated, "We owe a debt of gratitude to the parents, community leaders, law enforcement agencies, and public officials who have worked hard to achieve these significant reductions in methamphetamine use. They have proved yet again that when we come together to push back against America's illegal drug problem, it gets smaller. Their work has saved lives from the agony of methamphetamine addiction, violence, and crime."
According to the study, in 2005, approximately 1.3 million persons ages 12 or older ( 0.5 percent ) had used methamphetamine in the past year; 741,000 were male and 556,000 were female.
Combined data from 2002 to 2005 show that methamphetamine use in the past year was higher among persons in the West ( 1.2 percent ) than among those who lived in the Northeast ( 0.1 percent ), South ( 0.5 percent ) or Midwest ( 0.5 ) regions. These findings were consistent for both females and males.
The regions: Northeast: Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont; Midwest: Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin; South: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia; and the West: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.
These findings are based on survey questions about use of methamphetamine ( "crank," "crystal," "ice" or "speed" ), Desoxyn, or Methedrine that was not prescribed for the respondent or that he or she took only for the experience or feeling it caused.
The complete version of The NSDUH Report: Methamphetamine Use is available online at http://oas.samhsa.gov.
SAMHSA, is a public health agency within the Department of Health and Human Services. The agency is responsible for improving the accountability, capacity and effectiveness of the nations substance abuse prevention, addictions, treatment, and mental health services delivery system.
This story was released on 2007-01-29. Please make sure to visit the official company or organization web site to learn more about the original release date. See our disclaimer for additional information.