Wright, Sathe and Spagnola of SAMHSA [2007], has provided state estimates of substance use during the years 2004 to 2005. I will try to focus on the substance abusers from the state of Colorado. In 2005, it has been estimated that there are around 4. 6 million people living in Colorado. I have observed in the study that Colorado has been displaying an alarming performance from its youth with regards of substance abuse. In terms of illicit drugs, Colorado has been included in the top five for the following subgroups: 12-17 years old, 18-25 years old, and 26 or older.
For the age 12 and older, a total of 375,000 have used illicit drugs for the past month, with 47,000 coming from age 12-17, 136,000 coming from age 18-25 and 191,000 coming from age 26 or older. Illicit drugs include categories: marijuana, cocaine, heroin, hallucinogens, inhalants and pain relievers. Marijuana remains the most common illicit drug being used in the state, with 467,000 people using from age 12 or older for the past month. 65,000 of these came from ages 12-17, 165,000 came from ages 18-25, while 237,000 came from ages 26 or older.
Following marijuana is the use of pain reliever, which has 220,000 users for the past year coming from age 12 or older. Out of those numbers, 30,000 are from the youth ages 12-17, 74,000 came from ages 18-25, while 116,000 came from 26 or older. Last is cocaine, which acquired 106,000 users for the past year from the 12 or older age group. 7,000 of which are from 12-17 years old, 44,000 are from 18-25 years old while 54,000 are from 26 years old and above. Evidently, the use of illicit drugs is more common among people from ages 26 or older, followed by ages 18-25 years old then 12-17.
The most commonly used substance by Americans is alcohol, with around half of the population can be considered as drinkers for the past month. In Colorado, alcohol use is not much of problem compared to other states. To quantify, there are 2. 2 million who drank alcohol for the past month from ages 12 and above. Majority of which came from the older age group, with 1. 8 million, followed by 18-25 age group with 351,000 users and last from the youth with only 81,000. In terms of cigarettes, Colorado, unfortunately has again portrayed a high level of users, among the top 5 for cigarette smokers.
For the past month, a million have smoked, with the majority coming from ages 26 and older with 717,000. This was followed by 18-25 age group with 238,000 smokers and last is from the youth, with only 50,000 smokers. Out of the 385,000 people who experienced psychological distress in Colorado, 288,000 came from age 26 or older, while the remaining came from the 18-25 age groups. However, there are 38,000 youths out of the 318,000 people who experienced at least one major depressive episode. In the state of Colorado [SATS, 2005], 75. 6% of substance abusers are male, while 19.8% are female.
The age group with most number of abusers came from ages 36 to 40 years old. Most substance abusers are white, with 52. 7%, followed by African-American with 7. 2%, followed by American Indian with 6. 3%, Asian with 0. 5% and there are 28. 8% from other racial origin. 27% are Hispanic or Latino. In terms of drug arrests, 416,000 were arrested in 2005, the highest since 2001. Such numbers are only for the state of Colorado, what more for the other states, for other countries. Indeed, substance abuse has become prevalent and it does not matter from which background you belong.
Drugs encompass all boundaries and starting now, education and awareness among the youth with regards to the negative effects of such substance use. Campaigns against drugs, alcohol and cigarettes must be taken to the next level.
References
Office of National Drug Control Policy [2007]. Teens, Drugs & Violence: A Special Report. Accessed on February 1, 2008 on NCJRS Website: http://www. ncjrs. gov/ Office of Applied Studies. [2007]. A day in the life of American Adolescents: Substance Use Facts. Accessed on February 1, 2008 at SAMHSA Website: http://www.ncjrs.gov/