1 Figures are not additive; thus, they do not total 100 percent.

65

16

66

62

57

>39

38

52

>71

5555

65

28

28

>37

>15

52

28

65

54 39

Figure II-1, drawn from the National Survey, compares cigarette and alcohol consumption by age. The curves are roughly comparable throughout life; both peak during the age period of 18-34, and drop off thereafter. It is likely that the marked increase in alcohol consumption during late teen and early adult years is at least partly related to age regulations for the sale of alcoholic beverages.

Figure 1-1. AGE DISTRIBUTIONS OF THOSE EVER HAVING USED PSYCHOACTIVE DRUGS

SUBSTANCES

Lack of public familiarity with the names of ethical and proprietary drugs and the generally sporadic nature of their use inhibit the compilation of reliable and valid survey data. The Commission's National Survey sought to overcome these problems in two ways. First, respondents were aided in their recall by four cards specifically intended to illustrate the most well known and widely used of the proprietary and ethical sedatives, tranquilizers and stimulants. Secondly, the Survey gathered both incidence (ever use) and prevalence (use within the past year) data. These data were then related to the reasons for use in order to provide a more accurate picture of the meaning of the incidence and prevalence data.

Incidence and Prevalence

The National Survey data show that more than half (56%) of all adults and one-fifth (20%) of all youth have had experience with one or more proprietary or ethical sedatives, tranquilizers or stimulants.3 The extent of current use can be roughly estimated from figures regarding recent (within the past 12 months) use of these substances among adults. The data show that 39% of all adults or about 70% of the ever users have used one or more of these substances within that time. (See Table II-4.)

3 The following substances are included in the National Survey classifications: Ethical (prescription) drugs

"Sedatives": Nembutal,® Seconal,® Butisal,® Buticaps, Doriden,® Tuinal,® Noludar, Carbrital,® Phenobarbital.

"Tranquilizers": Miltown, Meprospan, Meprotabs,® Librium,® Libritabs, Equanil, Valium,® Serax,R Atarax,® Vistaril.R

"Stimulants": Dexamyl, Tenuate, R Tepanil, Eskatrol, ® Bamadex,® Ambar, Pre-sate,® Ritalin.R

Proprietary (Over-the-counter) drugs

"Sedatives": Nytol, Sominex,® Sleep-Eze.R

"Tranquilizers": Compoz,® Cope,R Nervine.R

"Stimulants": No-Doz,® Vivarin,® No Nod,® Caffeine Tablets.

Table 11-4.-AMERICAN EXPERIENCE WITH SELECTED PSYCHOACTIVE DRUGS (ETHICAL AND PROPRIETARY)

Substantial overlap exists among adult users of the various classes of ethical drugs. About one-half of the sedative users, for example, have also used tranquilizers while about one-third have used stimulants. Similarly, among stimulant users, about 40% have used tranquilizers and also about 40% have used sedatives. Among the ethical drugs, tranquilizers have been used by the greatest number of adults. Forty percent of the tranquilizer users have also used sedatives and about one-fourth have used stimulants. Four percent of the adult population have used all three types of ethical psychoactive drugs. These figures, however, tell us nothing about either the frequency, the regularity or the purposes of use. With respect to the former, the absolute number of regular users of these drugs among both youth and adults is too small to permit meaningful analysis of these subgroups. Table II-5 indicates the frequency and regularity with which adult recent users (within the past 12 months) have consumed ethical sedatives, tranquilizers and stimulants.

1 Regular use is defined as using "regularly" or "whenever I want to."

Note: Figures are rounded to the nearest 0.5 percent to prevent distortion in meaning from normal rounding to full percent figures.

Demographic Characteristics

Experience with sedatives, tranquilizers and stimulants, both ethical and proprietary, was found to be higher among Whites than among other racial groups, among women than men, among persons reporting more formal education, among those residing in metropolitan as opposed to rural areas, and among those persons residing in the West. (See Table II-6.)

Table 11-6.-ADULT EXPERIENCE WITH PSYCHOACTIVE DRUGS (ETHICAL AND