Addiction Medicine: Closing the Gap between Science and Practice

It is important to note that 8.0 percent of

adolescents ages 12 to 17 have addiction.^54 The

percent of adults who meet clinical criteria for

addiction declines with age.* The explanation

for this is not well understood and reliable

national data are not available on the proportion

of those with addiction for whom the disease is

chronic. It may be that some young people

receive treatment or otherwise successfully

manage the disease to the point where they no

longer meet diagnostic criteria for addiction as

they get older, while for some other young

people the disease may be fatal.

* 23.7 percent (8.6 million) of adults ages 26-34;

16.8 percent (10.5 million) of adults ages 35-49;

13.8 percent (7.9 million) of adults ages 50-64; and

5.8 percent (2.3 million) of adults ages 65 and older.

Men are more likely to have addiction than

women (19.1 percent, 23.6 million vs. 12.8

percent, 16.6 million). While rates of addiction

involving nicotine and controlled prescription

drugs are similar for both genders, rates of

addiction involving all other substances are

twice as high among men as women.^55

(Table 3.6)

Table 3.5

Prevalence of Addiction, by Age Group, 2010

Percent (Number in Millions)^

12- to
17- years
old

18- to

25- years

old

26+
years
old
Total Addiction,*
Ages 12+

8.0

(2.0M)

26.4

(9.0M)

15.0
(29.3M)
Nicotine With/Without
Other Substance
Addiction 1.8 10.4 9.7
Alcohol With/Without
Other Substance
Addiction 4.6 15.8 5.9
Illicit Drugs
With/Without Other
Substance Addiction 4.1 6.5 1.2
Controlled Prescription
Drugs With/Without
Other Substance
Addiction** (1.2) (2.2) (0.7)
Multiple Substances 2.7 6.7 2.1

• Based on past 30-day nicotine dependence, as defined in

the NDSS, and past-year alcohol and/or other drug abuse
or dependence, as defined in the DSM-IV.
** The rate of addiction involving controlled prescription

drugs is too low to assure statistical reliability of data by
age.^
Source: CASA Columbia analysis of The National Survey
on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 2010.

Table 3.6

Prevalence of Addiction,* by Gender, 2010

Percent (Number in Millions)

Males Females

Total Addiction,*

Ages 12+

19.1

(23.6M)

12.8

(16.6M)

Nicotine With/Without Other

Substance Addiction

9.9 8.2

Alcohol With/Without Other

Substance Addiction

9.5 4.8

Illicit Drugs With/Without

Other Substance Addiction

2.9 1.6

Controlled Prescription Drugs

With/Without Other

Substance Addiction**

(1.1) (0.8)

Multiple Substances 3.5 2.0

* Based on past 30-day nicotine dependence, as

defined in the NDSS, and past-year alcohol and/or

other drug abuse or dependence, as defined in the

DSM-IV.

** The rate of addiction involving controlled

prescription drugs is too low to assure statistical

reliability of data by gender.

Source: CASA Columbia analysis of The National

Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 2010.