NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DRUG ABUSE EPIDEMIOLOGIC ...

Among GTC patients, marijuana was the second
most common drug of first use (11.6 percent); as a
primary drug, marijuana also ranked second (17.7
percent) (exhibit 2).
Based on GTC data on the natural history of marijuana
use, an average of 10.4 percent of patients used
only marijuana at treatment entry; 89.6 percent had
progressed to a second drug, usually alcohol (32.9
percent) or tobacco (21.4 percent) (exhibit 3). Of the
multiple drug users in this group, 84.8 percent advanced
to a third drug, usually alcohol (24.1 percent),
tobacco (21.2 percent), or cocaine (20.4 percent).
Among patients at NGCs, most marijuana users were
male (95.5 percent); 23.1 percent were age 35 and
older; 41.1 percent had a middle school education;
and 59.4 percent were single (exhibit 4). The age of
onset for marijuana use among 48.0 percent of these
patients was between 10 and 14; 85.9 percent reported
daily use.
Marijuana ranked second (26.7 percent) as the drug
of first use for NGC admissions in the first half of
2004; as a primary drug, it was fourth most common
(10.4 percent) (exhibit 5).
Natural history data on marijuana consumption reported
by NGCs in the first half of 2004 show that
12.2 percent of patients were monodrug users at
treatment entry; the remaining 87.8 percent had progressed
to a second drug, mainly cocaine (26.1 percent)
and alcohol (17.3 percent) (exhibit 3). Of this
NGC group, 74.4 percent were already using a third
drug at the time of treatment entry, mainly cocaine
(22.8 percent), heroin (18.3 percent), and crystal
methamphetamine (14.8 percent).
Information from the Juvenile Detention Centers
shows that 34.4 percent of the 5,393 juveniles arrested
during the first half of 2004 used marijuana
(exhibit 6). Most of this population were male (95.2
percent); 50.7 percent had an elementary school education;
40.3 percent were subemployed; 37.1 percent
had a tattoo; and 31.5 percent were gang members.
Nearly one-third (31.5 percent) of the offenses were
committed under intoxication, and 42.8 percent of the
offenses were robberies.
ME data indicated that 3.2 percent of the intoxication
deaths reported were associated with marijuana; this
decedent group was primarily male (91.2 percent).
More than one-quarter (26.5 percent) were age 20–
24, and 20.6 percent were age 40 or older (exhibit 7).
The main cause of death in these cases was asphyxia
(19.4 percent), followed by firearms (16.1 percent).
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EPIDEMIOLOGIC TRENDS IN DRUG ABUSE—SISVEA
More than one-half of these deaths occurred either on
the street (33.3 percent) or at home (21.2 percent).
Inhalants
Inhalant users attending GTCs were mostly male
(85.1 percent) and age 15–19 (31.3 percent) (exhibit
1). Most patients had a middle school education (55.3
percent); 76.4 percent were single; and 55.1 percent
were from a middle-low socioeconomic level (exhibit
1). Most began to use inhalants between ages 10 and
14 (65.9 percent); 42.2 percent used inhalants daily;
and 41.3 percent used them once a week.
During the first half of 2004, inhalants ranked as the
third most commonly reported drug of onset (7.4
percent) and fourth as primary drug (10.6 percent)
among GTC patients (exhibit 2).
GTC data on the natural history of inhalants use show
that 25.7 percent of inhalant patients were monodrug
users when entering treatment and that 74.3 percent
were already using a second drug, mainly marijuana
(33.8 percent), alcohol (22.4 percent), or tobacco
(20.9 percent). Of the multiple drug user group, 81.0
percent had used a third drug, mainly alcohol (27.9
percent), marijuana (20.0 percent), tobacco (17.9
percent), or cocaine (13.3 percent) (exhibit 8).
NGCs reported that of the 2,243 patients who used
inhalants in the first 6 months of 2004, most were
male (92.4 percent), and 31.6 percent were age 15–19
(exhibit 4). More than one-half (58.7 percent) had an
elementary school education; 71.7 percent were single;
58.8 percent began to use inhalants between ages
10 and 14; and 89.4 percent reported daily use.
Among NGC patients, inhalants ranked third (11.0
percent) as drug of onset and fifth (8.1 percent) as a
primary drug of abuse (exhibit 5).
As for the natural history of drug use for inhalant
users, 58.8 percent of the NGC patients had progressed
to a second drug by the time of treatment
entry, mainly marijuana (52.3 percent), alcohol (15.5
percent), and other inhalants (8.4 percent). Of this
group, 74.1 percent used a third drug, usually cocaine
(25.6 percent), marijuana (16.1 percent), tranquilizers
(12.2 percent), or heroin (8.6 percent) (exhibit 8).
According to Juvenile Detention Centers, 13.9 percent
of juvenile arrestees used inhalants (exhibit 6).
Most were male (94.8 percent), had an elementary
school education (61.4 percent), and were subemployed
(45.3 percent). More than one-third (39.4
percent) had tattoos, and 40.5 percent belonged to a
Proceedings of the Community Epidemiology Work Group, Vol. II, January 2005