Mode of Intake of Drugs in North America

Drug Abuse in the Global Village
Drug Abuse in North America

Mode of Intake of Drugs in North America

CANADA
Patterns of multiple drug abuse are reported. In Canada's 1985 Health Promotion Survey, one in every twenty (5 per cent) Canadians, 15 and older, reported abusing more than one drug. Cocaine abusers are reported to be frequent multiple drug abusers (HWC 1989).

According to a 1990 study, 41 per cent of the "street youth" reported injection drug abuse. Multiple substance abuse among them is reported the norm rather than the exception (HWC 1992a).

USA
Heroin and morphine, cocaine, and methamphatamine are injected, according to the Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN). Cocaine is also smoked, as is marihuana and hallucinogenes. Barbiturates, amphetamines and hallucinogenes are ingested (U.N. 1992).

Multiple drug abuse is also reported, and many drugs are taken in combination with alcohol (U.N. 1992).