Drug Abuse in the Global Village
Drug Abuse in North America

Extent of Drug Abuse in North America

CANADA
Cannabis is reported the most prevalent drug abused in Canada. Annual prevalence is about 6.5 per cent in the adult population, and most significant among those aged 20-24 years (18.4 per cent), according to a 1989 survey. Abuse is more prevalent among men (8.9 per cent), especially those aged 25-34 (23.7 per cent), compared to 4.1 per cent and 13 per cent among the respective women groups (table 1) (HWC 1992a).

Table 1 Proportion of population which used illicit drugs in the 12 months preceding the survey and ever abused, by age, sex, Canada, 1989.

Sample Size N

Pop. Est (000s)

Marijuana or hash

Cocaine or Crack

LSD, Speed or Heroin

 

 

 

Ever  Last          year

Ever   Last
       year

Ever   Last           year

Total 15+
Male
Female

11634
 5291
 6343

20285
 9920
10365

23.3   6.5
28.9   8.9
17.7   4.1

3.5    1.4
4.5    2.0
2.7    0.8*

4.1    0.4*
5.1    0.5*
3.1     -

15-19
Male
Female

 838
 412
 426

 1866
  956
  910

23.2  12.3
23.1  14.3
23.3  10.3*

2.5*  1.9*
 -     -
 -     -

4.5*   2.1*
4.9*    -
4.2*    -

20-24
Male
Female

1049
 489
 560

 2034
 1027
 1007

43.1  18.4
51.7  15.2
34.4   6.0

7.0   3.1*
8.2*  4.0*
5.8*   -

4.7*    -
6.9*    -
3.3*    -

25-34
Male
Female

3059
1396
1663

 4670
 2318
 2352

25.8   4.5
33.6   6.2
18.2   2.8*

8.6    3.3
10.6   4.9*
6.7    1.8*

7.5     -
8.6     -
6.5     -

35-44
Male
Female

2352
1152
1200

 3962
 1971
 1991

10.0   1.2*
16.5    -
 3.5*   -

2.3*    -
3.2*    -
1.5*    -

5.9     -
7.7     -
4.1     -

45-55
Male
Female

1371
 673
 698

 2701
 1349
 1352

 2.4*   -
 3.3*   -
  -     -

  -      -
  -      -
  -      -

 1.5*    -
 2.6*    -
  -      -

55-64
Male
Female

1207
 529
 678

 2334
 1137
 1197

  -     -
  -     -
  -     -

  -      -
  -      -
  -      -  

  -      -
  -      -
  -      -

65+
Male
Female

1758
 640
1118

 2718
 1162
 1557

 1.2*   -
   -    -
   -    -

  -      -
  -      -
  -      -

  -      -
  -      -
  -      -

 

 * High sampling variability.

 - Data suppressed.

 SOURCE: HWC, National Alcohol and Other Drugs Survey, Canada, 1989 in HWC 1992a.

            Cocaine (or crack) is the next most prevalent drug abused in Canada. Annual prevalence of abuse is about 1.4 per cent in the adult population. It is higher for men (2 per cent), especially among men aged 20-34 years (4 to 5 per cent), compared to (0.8 per cent) and (about 1.8 per cent) in respective groups (table 1) (HWC 1992a).

            LSD, speed or heroin are also abused in Canada but their combined annual prevalence is about 0.4 per cent. Reported ever abuse is 4.1 per cent, indicating that abuse is not maintained after initial experimentation (table 1) (HWC 1992a).

            Other drugs abused include prescription opiates (codeine, demerol and morphine), with monthly prevalency estimated at 5 per cent, followed by sleeping pills (3.6 per cent), tranquilizers (3.1 per cent), anti-depressants (2 per cent), and diet pills or stimulants (0.9 per cent) (HWC 1992a).

 

USA
Cannabis is reported the most abused drug in the United States. The annual prevalence of abuse is estimated at 6.8 per cent (17,400,000 abusers) according to the 1992 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse. The daily prevalence of abuse is estimated at 4.4 per cent of the population over 12 years of age. Most abusers are males, between 18-25 years of age, and about 36.9 per cent are females (U.N. 1992). According to the 1991 National Survey on Drug Abuse, lifetime prevalence of drug abuse is highest among young adults 18-25 years of age and is estimated at 50.5 per cent. Among adults aged 26 and older lifetime prevalence is about 32.9 per cent, and among youth between 12-17 years of age prevalence is about 13 per cent (NIDA 1991).

            Cocaine is reported the next most abused drug, with annual prevalence of abuse estimated at 2 per cent and daily abuse estimated at 0.5 per cent. Abusers are predominantly male (67 per cent) and most are aged between 18-25. This age group has a lifetime prevalence of 18 per cent, and an annual prevalence 8 per cent(U.N. 1992, NIDA 1991).

            Analgesics have a prevalence of abuse estimated at 1.9 per cent annually, while daily abuse is 0.3 per cent. More than half of the abusers are female (54 per cent), and most abusers are between 26-34 years of age (U.N. 1992).

            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).