So who are these drug users? Are there certain characteristics or types of people who are more prone to drug use? Some of the answers may surprise you. Here are some facts and statistics on the types of people using drugs:
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Contrary to what many people believe, rates of drug use are fairly equal across racial groups. (Madar, 2017) For example, in 2001, 6.8% of whites, 6.9% of blacks and 5.5% of Hispanics reported current illicit drug use. Only Native American Indians and Alaska Natives (11.2%) and mixed-race individuals (12.6%) had significantly higher rates. (Hanson et al., 2004, p. 25)
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One large-scale study found that 18- to 20-year-olds had the highest rate of illicit drug use (22.4%) followed by the 16 to 17 age group (17.8%) and then the 21-25 age group (16.3%), showing that illicit drug use truly is a haven for the young. (Hanson, Venturelli & Fleckenstein, 2004)
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College graduates have the lowest rates of drug use (4.3%), whereas high school dropouts have the highest rates (7.3%). Although college graduates have used more +types+ of illicit drugs, their use tends to drop after graduation. (ibid
- Around three-quarters (76% of drug users in the U.S. are employed either full time or part time. Yet while the majority of addicts and drug users are employed, rates of illicit drug use among the unemployed are around double that of their employed peers. (ibid)
- Men are more likely to report current drug use than women (8.8% versus 5.5%), though this gap has been steadily closing in recent years. Annual use of drugs and alcohol between men and women is as follows:
|
Type of Abuse |
Men |
Women |
|
Alcohol |
84% |
83% |
|
Marijuana |
29% |
22% |
|
Binge Drinking |
43% |
24% |
|
Ecstasy |
6.7% |
4.4% |
|
Hallucinogen |
6.5% |
2.7% |
|
LSD |
4.2% |
1.9% |
|
Cocaine |
6.5% |
3.4% |
|
Heroin |
0.5% |
0.2% |
|
Crystal Meth |
1.4% |
.0.7% |
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There’s a strong connection between drug use and mental illness, whether as cause or effect.
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Certain professions are more prone to addiction than others. Lawyers, for example, have addiction rates that are around double that of the general population. Anywhere from 15 to 24 percent of lawyers have alcohol dependence, compared with 10% of the general population. This amounts to 300,000+ alcoholic lawyers. Health care professionals also have higher rates of addiction (around 15%), whereas pilots, who are regularly tested, have rates of less than 1%. (Haroutunian, 2013, p. 43)
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4% of teachers and educators surveyed report illegal drug use in the past month. (Cloud, 2-23-2009)