1 Detailed breakouts of youth other than by age are not feasible due to the small absolute number of non-medical users among youth. Table II-13 shows non-medical users by type of ethical psychoactive drug. As the data show, adults differ in their characteristics according to the type of ethical drug used. Non-medical usage of stimulants, for example, ranges from 1% of those over 50 years of age to 14% of those 18-21 years old. The corresponding variation among tranquilizer users is from 4% to 7%. TABLE II-13.-ADULT USERS OF ETHICAL PSYCHOACTIVE DRUGS In sum, 10% of the adult population has used ethical psychoactive drugs for non-medical purposes: 4% have used sedatives, 6% have used tranquilizers and 5% have used stimulants in this fashion. These figures represent 39% of the adult recent users of all ethical drugs. Likewise, 6% of the youth or 60% of those with any ethical drug experience have used these drugs for non-medical purposes. Multi-Drug Use Alcohol, Ethical and Proprietary Psychoactive Drugs The Commission's National Survey found that among adults, only a marginal relationship exists between consumption of alcoholic beverages and recent use of ethical or proprietary psychoactive drugs. Except for a somewhat higher incidence of stimulant use, consumers who have not used alcohol within the last week. (See Table II-14.) TABLE II-14.-ADULT RECENT USERS OF ALCOHOL AND ETHICAL AND PROPRIETARY PSYCHOACTIVE DRUGS Note: Example of how to read table: 27 percent of those using alcohol in past 7 days have used an ethical in past year. Among youth, the data show a different relationship. Young people who are recent alcohol consumers are more likely than non-consumers to report ever having had experience with these ethical and proprietary drugs, regardless of the particular type of drug. (See Table II-15) Table II-15.-YOUTH WITH ETHICAL OR PROPRIETARY DRUG EXPERIENCE AND RECENT ALCOHOL USE Marihuana and Ethical and Proprietary Psychoactive Drugs In contrast to alcohol, experience with marihuana is significantly associated with use of both ethical and proprietary psychoactive drugs. Table II-16 shows the proportion of adults with and without marihuana experience who have used each class of ethical and proprietary drugs within the past year. Table II-16.-ADULT MARIHUANA EXPERIENCE AND RECENT USE OF ETHICAL AND PROPRIETARY PSYCHOACTIVE DRUGS Note: Example of how to read table: 23 percent of adults with no marihuana experience have taken some ethical psychoactive drug within the past year. Pill usage is positively associated with marihuana experience. Moreover, among adults, current marihuana users are more likely to be recent pill users than are persons who have had marihuana experience but are not current users of marihuana. Among youth (12 to 17-year-olds), pill experience and marihuana experience are also positively correlated. (See Table II-17) Table II-17.-YOUTH MARIHUANA EXPERIENCE AND USE OF ETHICAL OR PROPRIETARY PSYCHOACTIVE DRUGS The Commission's National Survey data show that a minority of recent adult users of ethical psychoactive drugs has used several pills concurrently or has used a pill in combination with alcohol. Table II adults who have recent experience with each type of ethical or proprietary psychoactive drug. TABLE II-18.-CONCURRENT USE OF PILLS OR PILLS PLUS ALCOHOL AMONG RECENT PILL USERS Only a limited amount of subgroup analysis is possible due to the small numbers of recent users who have concurrently used more than one pill or who have used a pill plus alcohol. Table II-19 shows concurrent use by age. Table II-19.-CONCURRENT USE OF MULTIPLE DRUGS, BY AGE Note: Example of how to read table: Of adults who have recently used an ethical sedative and coincidentally another pill or alcohol, 70 percent are aged 18-25. Despite the small bases, the concentration of concurrent use of sedatives and another pill or alcohol among those 18-25 years of age is statistically meaningful. Young people in this age group were also Multiple drug use is not intended to imply that usage is only non-medical or that it applies only to pills illicitly obtained. |