As illegal drugs continue to find its way into the country to be sold on the black market, our children, all children, will continue to be more susceptible to drug use. The drug dealer - as portrayed by the media - is usually a young Black youth, but people should realize that the typical drug dealer is actually from the prestigious sector of society, as is the typical drug user.

Since whites have more accessibility to the drug market, they are usually the first ones to experiment with and profit from drugs. The trickle down effect eventually makes its way to the lower end of the social sector - the urban streets and ghettos - and Blacks then practice drug dealing and abuse in a more glitzy way.

Overall, drug use among whites rarely go reported to the public, as do the uses and practices of drugs by Blacks. Below are the most recent stats about drug use and white America.

Marijuana
In 2002, marijuana was the third most commonly abused drug mentioned in drug-related hospital emergency department (ED) visits in the continental United States.

The latest treatment data indicate that, in 2000, marijuana was the primary drug of abuse in about 15 percent (236,638) of all admissions to treatment facilities in the United States. Marijuana admissions were primarily male (76 percent), White (57 percent), and young (46 percent under 20 years old). Those in treatment for primary marijuana use had begun use at an early age; 56 percent had used it by age 14 and 92 percent had used it by 18.

Club Drugs
MDMA (ecstasy), Rohypnol, GHB, and ketamine are among the drugs used by teens and young adults who are part of a nightclub, bar, rave, or trance scene.

Raves and trance events are generally night-long dances, often held in warehouses. Many who attend raves and trances do not use drugs, but those who do may be attracted to their generally low cost, and to the intoxicating highs that are said to deepen the rave or trance experience. Current science, however, is showing changes to critical parts of the brain from use of these drugs.

MDMA (Ecstasy)
MDMA (3-4 methylenedioxymethamphetamine) is a synthetic, psychoactive drug chemically similar to the stimulant methamphetamine and the hallucinogen mescaline. Street names for MDMA include "ecstasy," "XTC," and "hug drug." Drug use data sources for 21 metropolitan areas nationwide indicate that MDMA, once used primarily as a club drug, is being used in a number of other social settings.

Crack and Cocaine
Overall, annual cocaine use increased in each grade from the early 1990s until 1998 or 1999 and has subsequently stabilized or declined somewhat. Among 12th-graders, the rate increased from 3.1 percent in 1992 to 6.2 percent in 1999, declined significantly to 5.0 percent in 2000, and remained stable through 2003 at 4.8 percent.

Among 10th-graders, the rate increased from 1.9 percent in 1992 to 4.9 percent in 1999. In 2003, 3.3 percent of 10th-graders reported annual cocaine use, significantly below the peak in 1999, though year-to-year changes were not significant. Among 8th-graders, 1.1 percent reported annual cocaine use in 1991, a figure that increased to 3.0 percent in 1996, hovered around that point for several years, then dropped to 2.2 percent in 2003-significantly below the 1996 high point.

In 2002, 33.9 million Americans age 12 and over reported lifetime use of cocaine, and 8.4 million of these reported using crack. About 5.9 million reported annual use of cocaine, and 1.6 million of these reported using crack. About 2 million reported 30-day use of cocaine, and 567,000 of these reported using crack.

The percentage of youth ages 12 to 17 reporting lifetime use of cocaine increased from 2.3 percent in 2001 to 2.7 percent in 2002. Among young adults ages 18 to 25, the rate increased from 14.9 percent in 2001 to 15.4 percent in 2002.

LSD
Since 1975, MTF researchers have annually surveyed almost 17,000 high school seniors nationwide to determine trends in drug use and to measure attitudes and beliefs about drug abuse.

Over the past 2 years, the percentage of seniors who have used LSD has remained relatively stable. Between 1975 and 1997, the lowest lifetime use of LSD was reported by the class of 1986, when 7.2 percent of seniors reported using LSD at least once in their lives.

In 1997, 13.6 percent of seniors had experimented with LSD at least once in their lifetimes. The percentage of seniors reporting use of LSD in the past year nearly doubled from a low of 4.4 percent in 1985 to 8.4 percent in 1997. Almost 51 percent of seniors said it would have been fairly easy or very easy for them to get LSD if they had wanted it.

Methamphetamine
MTF assesses the extent of drug use among adolescents (8th-, 10th-, and 12th-graders) and young adults across the country. Recent data from the survey indicate the following:

· In 2003, 6.2 percent of high school seniors had reported lifetime use of methamphetamine, statistically unchanged from 6.9 percent in 2001. Lifetime use was measured at 5.2 percent of 10th grade students and 3.9 percent of 8th-graders.
· Annual use remained stable at 3.3 percent in 2003 among 10th-graders and at 3.2 percent among seniors.

Source from: http://www.nida.nih.gov/Infofax/Infofaxindex.html

© 2004 By Afro Staff