Drug Abuse in the Global Village
Amphetamine Abuse in the Americas

Extent of Amphetamine Abuse in North America

USA
Other drugs of concern are tranquilizers (annual prevalence 1.2 per cent), hallucinogenes (1 per cent), inhalents (1 per cent), amphetamines, sedatives, crack and heroin (all below 1 per cent) (U.N. 1992).

Extent of Amphetamine Abuse in Caribbean
None reported.
Extent of Amphetamine Abuse in Central America

Mexico
According to a National Addiction Survey, 692,500 persons, or about 4.8 per cent of the urban population, ever abused some type of drug (abused = 6 times or more in a lifetime). Ever abuse for specific drugs is as follows : amphetamines 129,000 or 18 per cent (see table 1) (* Mexico 1992).

Table 1. Individuals Who Have Ever* Consumed Drugs

	Total # of abusers *	Prevalence **	Sex		Age of Inception
			M	F
Amphetamines	129000	0.36%	45.5%	54.4%	18-25

* 6 or More Times in a lifetime
** Percentage of the whole population.
Source: Direccion General de Epidemiologia, SSA. Instituto Mexicano de Psiquiaria. 1992

According to a National Poll on Addiction, 40 million persons have abused drugs on some occasion (JPRS 1991).

Extent of Amphetamine Abuse in South America

ARGENTINA
Little statistical data is available in regard to the prevalence of drug abuse. Annual Reports Questionnaire (U.N.) key informants report that the most important drugs abused are opiates, synthetic narcotics, cocaine and coca-leaf, cannabis, amphetamines, benzodiazepines and hypnotic sedatives (U.N. 1988).

BRAZIL
According to a students study in 10 state capitals in 1989, with an estimated prevelance of amphetamines (3.9 per cent) (* Ministry of Health 1990)

CHILE
Amphetamines are the next most abused drug. Annual prevalence for amphetamines is estimated at 0.7 per cent (92.944 cases) and daily abuse is about 0.2 per cent (27.883 cases). Again, most abusers are males between 18-25 years of age, while 1.4 per cent of abusers are females (U.N. 1991). An estimated 18 per cent of the Chilean population has abused drugs at least once in their lives. Among them, 6.3 per cent are considered of high risk, and 3.2 per cent show derivative damage (CND 1991).

COLOMBIA
Abuse of amphetamine at about 0.6 per cent (National Household Survey 1993).

ECUADOR
Table 1. Drug Abusers in a Random Sample of the Population, 1992.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Drug-type Total % of the population
---------------------------------------------------------------
Amphetamines 64 1.1
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N= 6081
Source: La Farmacodependencia en el Ecuador. Ministerio de Salud Publica, UNDCP, 1992.

URUGUAY
Cocaine is reported the next most abused drug in Uruguay, followed by amphetamines, inhalents and hallucinogenes (U.N. 1991).

VENEZUELA
Analgesics are the most abused drug according to a study, conducted in 1988, of the population over 12 years of age. Abuse in the six months prior to the study is estimated at about 8.3 per cent, followed by cannabis (5.6 per cent), tranquilizers (4.1 per cent), cocaine (1.7 per cent) and heroin (1.0 per cent) (* Galicia, 1988).

Table 1. Drug abuse by type and frequency in Venezuela in 1988.

Type of Drug	Last Six Months	Occasionally*	Daily*
Amphetamine	1.9%	1.2%	0.2%

* Abuse in the last 30 days.
Occasionally: up to seven times a week.
Daily: every day.
Source: Plan Autonomico Drogodependencia, Galicia, 1988.

Trends in Amphetamine Abuse in North America

USA
The number of illicit drug abusers in the United States has been declining since its peak in 1979. This trend is reported to be continuing with the number of drug abusers dropping from 12.8 million in 1991, to 11.4 million in 1992. A decrease in prevalence has occurred among younger people, but not among older adults. The gradual but fundamental shift in students' perceptions is attributed to the impact of education and information on young people (U.N. 1992).

The proportion of high school seniors using any illicit drug during the prior year fell from 33 per cent in 1990, to 29 per cent in 1991; and was down considerably from the peak level of 54 per cent in 1979. Similarly, among college students, annual prevalence of any illicit drug abuse fell from 33 per cent in 1990 to 29 per cent in 1991; down from a peak of 56 per cent in 1980 (University of Michigan 1992).

Although cocaine and other drug use continues to decline among high-school seniors, 8th graders in 1992 reported higher rates of illicit drug abuse than in 1991 (U.N. 1992).

Trends in Amphetamine Abuse in the Caribbean

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
In 1990, some increase was reported in the abuse of amphetamines, and meta-amphetamines (U.N. 1990)

Trends in Amphetamine Abuse in Central America

COSTA RICA
Some increase in the abuse of amphetamines is noted (U.N. 1992; CICAD 1993).

MEXICO
An increase in drug abuse was reported from 1986 to 1992 according to UNDCP key informant surveys (U.N. 1986-1992). The increase is attributed to changes in traffic patterns and more availability (U.N. 1991).

Trends in Amphetamine Abuse in South America

BRAZIL
According to the Sao Paulo School of Medicine poll, frequent drug consumption among students is increasing at a rate of nearly 25 per cent every two years. In a poll taken by the Rio de Janeiro State University in 1980, only 3 out of 100 students in Rio had already consumed drugs. In 1991, the figure was 20 out of 100 (JPRS 1991). There was a 23.8 per cent increase in lifetime drug abuse from 1987 (21.1 per cent) to 1989 (26.1 per cent) (Ministry of Health 1990).

ECUADOR
In general, the cities of Quito, Guyaquil and those in the border make up areas where there is greater availability and greater consumption. Higher abuse rates have been also observed among the population of urban metropolitan areas (U.N. 1990). Amphetamines are consumed in the amazon regions, followed by undeveloped regions (* La Farmacodependencia en el Ecuador 1992).

URUGUAY
In 1991, some decrease was reported in the abuse of amphetamines (U.N. 1991).

References and Notes

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
U.N. 1990. Reply to UNDCP Annual Reports Questionnaire for the year 1990.

COSTA RICA
U.N. 1992. Reply to UNDCP Annual Reports Questionnaire for the year 1992.

CICAD 1993. Drug Surveillance System in Central America, Panama, and Dominican Republic. Epidemiologic Trends in Drug Abuse. CICAD/OAS/PAHO, 1993.

MEXICO
U.N. 1986-1992. Replies to UNDCP Annual Reports Questionnaire for the years 1986-1992.

JPRS 1991. Foreign Broadcast Information Service. JPRS Report Narcotics. 14 May 1991. Latin America. (JPRS-TDD-91-020-L).

Mexico 1992. "Drug Control in Mexico: A Comprehensive Program 1989-1994. Summary". Office of the Attorney General. Government of Mexico. 1992.

USA
U.N. 1992. Reply to UNDCP Annual Reports Questionnaire for the year 1992.

University of Michigan 1992. University of Michigan News and Information Services. Press Release. 27 January 1992.

* Illicit Drug Use, Smoking, and Drinking by America's High School Students, College Students, and Young Adults 1975-1987, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

* The original study does address amphetamines with more details.

ARGENTINA
U.N. 1988. Reply to UNDCP Annual Reports Questionnaire for the year 1988.

BRAZIL
JPRS 1991. Foreign Broadcast Information Service. JPRS Report Narcotics. 23 April, 1991. Latin America, p 16. (JPRS-TDD-91-017-L)

* Ministry of Health 1990. Carlini, E.A., Carlini-Cotrim,Beatriz, and Nappo, Solange A. "Illicit Use of Psychotropic Drugs in Brazilian Cities: 1987-1989". Proceedings of the Community Epidemiology Work Group, Epidemiologic Trends in Drug Abuse. U.S. Department of Health and Human Servives, Division of Epidemiology and Prevention Research. Rockville, Maryland. June 1990.

CHILE
U.N. 1991. Reply to UNDCP Annual Reports Questionnaire in 1991.
CND 1991. Commission on Narcotic Drugs 1991 Speech of the Chilean Under-Secretary of the Interior, May, 1991, (Inofficial Translation).

COLOMBIA
National Household Survey 1993. Ospina,Edgar Rodriguez, Ramirez, Luis Fernando Duque, and Garcia, Jesus Rodriguez. National Household Survey of Drug Abuse 1993 Highlights. Santafe de Bogota, Colombia. March 1993.

ECUADOR
U.N. 1990. Reply to UNDCP Annual Reports Questionnaire for the year 1990.

* La Farmacodependencia en el Ecuador 1992. Z, Dr. Enrique Aguilar. La Farmacodependencia en El Ecuador: Factores de Reisgo. Ministerio de Salud Publica and UNDCP. Quito. March 1992.

URUGUAY
U.N. 1991. Reply to Annual Reports Questionnaire.

VENEZUELA

* Galicia 1988. Xunta de Galicia 1988 Plan Autonomico Dorgodependencia. Direccion Xeral de Saude Publica, Conselleria de Sanidade, Xunta de Galicia, 1988.