Addiction Medicine: Closing the Gap between Science and Practice

32.3

(55.0 M)

31.6

(9.6 M)

32.0

(11.8 M) 24.7

(4.1 M)

White Black Hispanic Other

P E R C E N T

* In the past 30 days.

Source: CASA Columbia analysis of The National Survey on

Drug Use and Health(NSDUH), 2010.

Figure 3.C

Current* Risky Substance Use

Among Individuals Ages 12+ by Race/Ethnicity,

2010

Percent (Number in Millions)

31.7

(80.4 M)

14.3

(3.5 M)

40.9

(13.9 M) 32.3

(63.0 M)

Total 12 to 17 18 to 25 26+

P E R C E N T

* In the past 30 days.

Source: CASA Columbia analysis of The National Survey on

Drug Use and Health(NSDUH), 2010.

Figure 3.B

Current* Risky Substance Use

Among Individuals Ages 12+, 2010

Percent (Number in Millions)

Young adults, ages 18- to 25- years old, are
more likely to engage in risky substance use
than any other age group. (Figure 3.B) Men are
somewhat likelier to be risky substance users
than women: 33.9 percent (41.8 million) vs.
29.6 percent (38.6 million).^13

Whites, Hispanics and blacks are likelier to
engage in risky substance use than persons of
other races/ethnicities.* 14 (Figure 3.C)

• “Other” races/ethnicities include American

Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, Native Hawaiian/Other
Pacific Islander and multiracial non-Hispanic. These
races/ethnicities were combined for purposes of
analysis because there are too few respondents in
each category to calculate meaningful prevalence
data for each category separately. The “other
races/ethnicities” category is reported as a group
despite the fact that substance use prevalence rates

The proportion of the population engaging in

risky substance use has remained stable over the

past decade; in 2002, 31.1 percent (73.1 million)

were risky substance users, as were 31.7 percent

(80.4 million) in 2010.^15

vary between each racial/ethnic group in this

category.

Table 3.1

Prevalence of Current Risky Use* of

Addictive Substances in

U.S. Population, Ages 12+, 2010

Percent of

Total

Population

Number
(in
Millions)
Total Risky Use 31.7 80.4
Tobacco With/Without
Other Substances 18.5 47.0
Tobacco Only 6.7 17.0
Alcohol With/Without
Other Substances 27.2 69.0
Alcohol Only 14.3 36.2
Illicit Drugs
With/Without
Other Substances

5.8 14.6

Illicit Drugs Only 0.6 1.6

Controlled Prescription
Drugs With/Without
Other Substances

2.1 5.4

Controlled Prescription
Drugs Only 0.5 1.1
Multiple Substances 9.7 24.6

• Individuals included in the risky use category used

the substance in the past 30 days but do not meet
diagnostic criteria for addiction.
Source: CASA Columbia analysis of The National
Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 2010.