The 2007 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: National Findings being released by the Department of Health and Human Services shows that people aged 18 to 25 are using less cocaine and methamphetamine, but they are using more recreational prescription pain relievers compared to 2006.
Baby boomers aged 55 to 59 more than doubled their use of illicit drugs since 2002, from 1.9 percent to 4.1 percent. For those aged 50 to 54, the rate of illicit drug use increased from 3.4 percent in 2002 to 5.7 percent in 2007.
The survey was given to about 67,500 people aged 12 and older and is based on interviews with nearly 68,000 people, all interviewed in their homes from January through December 2007. Overall, about 20 million people 12 and older reported using illicit drugs in the past month.
The figures for current illicit drug use among 12- to 17-year-olds was stable between 2006 and 2007. But when looked at between 2002 and 2007, this group's rates were generally down for illicit drugs.
An estimated 8 percent of the people surveyed used an illicit drug in 2007, within the past month of when the survey was taken. That figure is similar to 2006 (8.3 percent), down just a hair.
An "illicit" drug is described as marijuana, hashish, cocaine (including crack), heroin, hallucinogens, inhalants, and prescription drugs that are not used for medical purposes.
