Discussion

Most people perceived that one takes great risks of harming oneself with any use of cocaine or heroin and with heavy alcohol use nearly every day. About two-thirds of the population assigned great risk to smoking a pack of cigarettes every day. Over half considered regular marijuana use and weekly heavy drinking to entail great risk, although only two in five persons perceived that great risk may be associated with occasional marijuana use. The prevalences of perceptions that great risks may be incurred with drug use were lowest among youths aged 12 to 17, and lowest among all persons who had ever used any illicit drug. In general, strong associations were found between substance use and perceived risk of substance use, with respondents who used substances being less likely to perceive great risk from use.

Clear majorities of the total population and all age groups reported that marijuana is fairly easy or very easy to obtain. Around 40% to 50% of the adult population thought that cocaine and crack might be easily obtained, while around 30% of adolescents thought these substances could be easily obtained. About a third of all adults aged 18 or older considered it fairly or very easy to get heroin; only about one of five youths believed heroin could be obtained this easily. In general, there were also strong associations between substance use and perceived ease of obtaining substances, with respondents who used substances being more likely to perceive that it is easy to obtain them.

About 7% of the population aged 12 or older reported being approached during the past month by someone offering to sell an illicit drug. Such contact initiated by a drug seller was more prevalent among those aged 12 to 25 than among older age groups. Being approached by a drug seller was more common among female youths and youths residing in the West than among young adult females and young adult Westerners.

Finally, past year illicit drug use and heavy alcohol use were highly related to high-risk driving behaviors. In particular, driving while under the influence during the past year was reported by half of the heavy drinkers and by about 40% of past year illicit drug users. The co-occurrence of the use of illicit drugs or heavy amounts of alcohol with driving under the influence and other risky behaviors provides support for the view that substance use is one of several behaviors that make up a syndrome of problem behaviors (Jessor & Jessor, 1977) and that this pattern occurs among adults as well as adolescents.

Table 11.1 Trends in Percentage Reporting Perceptions of Great Risk of Using Illicit Drugs, Alcohol, or Cigarettes, by Age Group: 1996 and 1997

Note 1: Questions asked were: How do you think people risk harming themselves physically and in other ways when they do each of the following activities? Response choices were for each of 11 activities: (1) no risk, (2) slight risk, (3) moderate risk, and (4) great risk. The unweighted n's for each age group are smaller than those shown in Table 1.1 because of differing patterns of nonresponse to the risk questions across age groups.
Note 2: Due to improved procedures, these estimates are not comparable with previous year estimates and should not be used for trends with pre-1994 data.

-- Not available.

^aDifference between 1996 estimate and 1997 estimate is statistically significant at the .05 level.
^bDifference between 1996 estimate and 1997 estimate is statistically significant at the .01 level.

Source: Office of Applied Studies, SAMHSA, National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, 1996 and 1997.

Table 11.2 Percentage Reporting Perceptions of Great Risk of Using Illicit Drugs, by Use of Any Illicit Drug in the Past Year and Age Group: 1997

 

Age Group in Years/Percentage Reporting Great Risk of Using Drugs	Any Illicit Drug Use in Past Year		Total
	No	Yes
Total
Smoke marijuana once or twice a week	64.1	17.0	58.8
Use cocaine once or twice a week	94.0	83.3	92.8
Try LSD once or twice	77.0	47.1	73.6
Try heroin once or twice	82.4	68.6	80.9
12-17 Years
Smoke marijuana once or twice a week	62.6	17.0	54.0
Use cocaine once or twice a week	82.9	80.5	82.4
Try LSD once or twice	50.9	35.0	47.9
Try heroin once or twice	52.8	56.5	53.5
18-25 Years
Smoke marijuana once or twice a week	56.3	16.1	46.1
Use cocaine once or twice a week	92.7	85.4	90.8
Try LSD once or twice	64.9	37.8	58.0
Try heroin once or twice	73.9	68.5	72.5
26-34 Years
Smoke marijuana once or twice a week	58.3	20.3	52.8
Use cocaine once or twice a week	94.6	83.1	92.9
Try LSD once or twice	74.1	46.9	70.2
Try heroin once or twice	81.8	69.0	80.0
35+ Years
Smoke marijuana once or twice a week	67.2	15.6	64.1
Use cocaine once or twice a week	95.7	83.0	94.9
Try LSD once or twice	83.7	61.9	82.3
Try heroin once or twice	88.5	74.8	87.7

Source: Office of Applied Studies, SAMHSA, National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, 1997.

Table 11.3 Trends in Percentage of Respondents Reporting Illicit Drugs Are Fairly Easy to Get or Very Easy to Get, by Age Group: 1996 and 1997

 

	Age Group in Years/Survey Year
	12-17			18-25			26-34			35+			Total 12+ Years
Drug (Unweighted n)	1996 (4,538)	1997 (7,844)		1996 (4,366)	1997 (6,239)		1996 (5,262)	1997 (4,387)		1996 (4,103)	1997 (6,035)		1996 (18,269)	1997 (24,505)
Marijuana
(fairly or very easy to get)	57.7	57.9		77.5	77.0		67.6	68.4		53.5	54.5		59.5	60.1
Cocaine
(fairly or very easy to get)	32.0	30.4		48.3b	44.1		49.8a	46.3		42.0	39.9		43.1a	40.5
"Crack"
(fairly or very easy to get)	29.2	28.9		42.7	41.1		43.4	43.0		38.7	39.0		39.0	38.8
LSD
(fairly or very easy to get)	--	28.0		--	39.4		--	31.5		--	32.8		--	32.9
Heroin
(fairly or very easy to get)	22.8	21.4		33.3a	30.7		33.0a	30.6		33.8	32.7		32.4	30.9

LSD=lysergic acid diethylamide.

-- Not available.

^aDifference between 1996 estimate and 1997 estimate is statistically significant at the .05 level.
^bDifference between 1996 estimate and 1997 estimate is statistically significant at the .01 level.

Source: Office of Applied Studies, SAMHSA, National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, 1996 and 1997.

Table 11.4 Percentage Reporting That Illicit Drugs Are Fairly or Very Easy to Obtain, by Use of Any Illicit Drug in the Past Year and Age Group: 1997

 

Age Group in Years/Percentage Saying  Drug Is Easy or Fairly Easy to Obtain	Any Illicit Drug Use in Past Year		Total
	No	Yes
Total
Marijuana	56.6	87.3	60.1
LSD	31.9	40.6	32.9
Cocaine	38.9	52.6	40.5
"Crack"	37.7	48.0	38.8
Heroin	30.9	30.7	30.9
12-17 Years
Marijuana	50.3	91.0	57.9
LSD	23.4	47.7	28.0
Cocaine	27.5	43.1	30.4
"Crack"	26.6	38.7	28.9
Heroin	20.4	25.6	21.4
18-25 Years
Marijuana	71.8	92.2	77.0
LSD	36.3	48.3	39.4
Cocaine	41.2	52.7	44.1
"Crack"	39.3	46.2	41.1
Heroin	31.1	29.6	30.7
26-34 Years
Marijuana	65.2	87.5	68.4
LSD	30.6	37.1	31.5
Cocaine	43.7	61.6	46.3
"Crack"	41.6	51.0	43.0
Heroin	30.7	29.8	30.6
35+ Years
Marijuana	52.8	80.8	54.5
LSD	32.8	32.4	32.8
Cocaine	39.1	51.6	39.9
"Crack"	38.1	52.7	39.0
Heroin	32.5	35.0	32.7

Table 11.5 Percentages Reporting Being Approached in the Past Month by Someone Offering to Sell Drugs, by Age Group and Demographic Characteristics: 1997

 

Demographic Characteristic	Age Group in Years				Total
	12-17	18-25	26-34	35+
Total	14.3	16.2	7.2	3.3	6.7
Gender
Male	15.8	21.4	10.3	4.9	9.2
Female	12.8	10.9	4.3	1.9	4.4
Race/Ethnicity1
White, non-Hispanic	14.4	16.7	6.1	2.6	5.9
Black, non-Hispanic	12.3	15.6	11.6	7.5	10.1
Hispanic	16.2	15.4	8.7	5.9	9.6
Population Density
Large metro	16.3	18.3	8.1	3.4	7.4
Small metro	14.7	15.1	6.4	3.6	6.7
Nonmetro	10.3	14.2	6.6	2.5	5.4
Region
Northeast	12.5	16.0	7.7	3.5	6.4
North Central	14.3	14.0	6.2	3.6	6.6
South	12.8	17.5	7.4	3.0	6.7
West	18.2	16.3	7.8	3.2	7.3
Adult Education2
Less than high school	N/A	20.6	12.0	4.8	8.3
High school graduate	N/A	18.3	7.9	3.2	6.3
Some college	N/A	14.2	6.8	3.9	6.5
College graduate	N/A	6.4	4.5	1.8	2.7
Current Employment3
Full-time	N/A	16.3	7.3	4.8	6.9
Part-time	N/A	16.3	5.4	2.0	6.8
Unemployed	N/A	21.9	13.7	5.7	11.9
Other4	N/A	13.6	6.1	1.3	2.9

N/A: Not applicable.

¹ The category "other" for race/ethnicity is not included.
² Data on adult education are not applicable for youths aged 12 to 17. Total refers to adults aged 18 or older (unweighted n=16,661).
³ Data on current employment are not applicable for youths aged 12 to 17. Total refers to adults aged 18 or older (unweighted n=16,661).
⁴ Retired, disabled, homemaker, student, or "other."
Source: Office of Applied Studies, SAMHSA, National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, 1997.

Table 11.6 Percentage of Those Aged 16 or Older Reporting Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol or Illicit Drugs in the Past Year or Often Driving or Riding in a Car Without Wearing a Seat Belt, by Past Year Illicit Drug Use, Heavy Alcohol Use, and Demographic Characteristics: 1997
 

Demographic Characteristic	Illicit Drug Use  in the Past Year			Heavy Alcohol Use in the Past Month			Total
	Drove Under the Influence in the Past Year	Often Drove or Rode Without Wearing Seat Belt		Drove Under the Influence in the  Past Year	Often Drove or Rode Without Wearing Seat Belt		Drove Under the Influence in the  Past Year	Often Drove or Rode Without Wearing Seat Belt
Total	40.7	23.4		50.6	26.8		10.7	12.4
Gender
Male	44.1	28.3		48.4	30.1		14.9	16.1
Female	35.2	15.7		59.4	13.7		6.9	9.0
Age Group in Years
16-17	28.3	26.8		*	43.1		10.5	18.8
18-20	44.4	26.5		66.3	41.6		18.3	19.4
21-25	41.7	23.9		57.1	29.5		18.4	16.8
25-34	45.1	23.2		54.9	27.1		17.2	14.2
35+	39.4	21.1		42.6	20.4		7.4	10.4
Race/Ethnicity1
White, non-Hispanic	45.9	23.0		55.4	27.0		12.3	12.0
Black, non-Hispanic	21.3	22.3		27.0	27.7		5.3	16.1
Hispanic	27.2	27.0		30.2	24.9		6.6	12.8
Population Density
Large metro	38.1	19.8		42.8	24.1		9.8	11.7
Small metro	45.0	26.3		61.2	26.7		12.4	12.1
Nonmetro	38.2	26.2		49.6	32.2		9.9	14.3
Region
Northeast	27.2	20.1		*	*		5.9	15.4
North Central	49.1	34.0		54.5	36.0		15.1	14.6
South	44.0	25.6		53.6	23.1		10.4	12.6
West	36.4	13.5		56.1	13.0		10.8	7.3
Adult Education2
Less than high school	28.2	34.8		*	36.1		5.9	18.7
High school graduate	42.7	26.5		51.5	31.6		9.6	14.8
Some college	48.3	21.7		62.3	22.9		13.7	10.8
College graduate	48.0	4.4		*	*		13.2	4.8
Current Employment3
Full-time	48.1	24.8		55.7	26.2		14.9	12.2
Part-time	38.5	20.0		*	*		9.3	13.0
Unemployed	32.1	18.2		*	*		12.6	14.6
Other4	29.6	22.4		*	22.1		3.9	11.5

Note 1: Due to improved procedures implemented in 1994, these estimates are not comparable with those presented in NHSDA Main Findings prior to 1994.
Note 2: Illicit drug use indicates use at least once in the past month of marijuana or hashish, cocaine (including crack), inhalants, hallucinogens (including PCP and LSD), heroin, or nonmedical use of psychotherapeutics.
Note 3: Heavy alcohol use is defined as drinking five or more drinks on the same occasion on each of 5 or more days in the past 30 days. By "occasion" is meant at the same time or within a couple hours of each other.

*Low precision; no estimate reported.

¹ The category "other" for race/ethnicity is not included.
² Data on adult education are not applicable for youths aged 12 to 17. Total refers to adults aged 18 or older (unweighted n=16,661).
³ Data on current employment are not applicable for youths aged 12 to 17. Total refers to adults aged 18 or older (unweighted n=16,661).
⁴ Retired, disabled, homemaker, student, or "other."
Source: Office of Applied Studies, SAMHSA, National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, 1997.