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National Drug Intelligence Center Methamphetamine Drug Threat Assessment March 2005 UNCLASSIFIED DemandNational-level rates of use for methamphetamine are lower than those for many illicit drugs primarily because the drug is largely unavailable to significant portions of the population, such as those in the Northeast (the most populous region in the country) and in large cities such as Chicago, Detroit, and Miami. According to 2003 NSDUH data, the rate of past year use for methamphetamine among persons aged 12 or older (0.6%) was lower than that for marijuana (10.6%), cocaine (2.5%), and MDMA (0.9%) but higher than heroin (0.1%).
Predominant User GroupsNational drug prevalence data regarding rates of use for methamphetamine among various age groups are mixed and do not clearly indicate a predominant age group for methamphetamine use. For example, NSDUH 2003 data indicate that the rates of past year use for methamphetamine were much higher among young adults aged 18 to 25 (1.6%) than among adolescents aged 12 to 17 (0.7%) or adults 26 or older (0.4%). However, Monitoring the Future (MTF) 2003 data indicate that the rates of past year use for methamphetamine among tenth (3.3%) and twelfth graders (3.2%) are higher than rates among young adults aged 19 to 28 (2.7%) or college students aged 19 to 22 (2.6%). As is typical of most illicit drugs, the lowest rates of past year use for methamphetamine (2.5%) were reported by eighth graders. Males are slightly more likely to use methamphetamine than females; however, at younger ages, females appear to use methamphetamine at higher rates than males. According to NSDUH 2003 data, the rate of past year use for methamphetamine among males was 0.7 percent compared with 0.4 percent for females. But MTF data for 2003 show that rates of past year methamphetamine use were higher among eighth and tenth grade females than males. Among all other age groups, past year use was higher among males than females (see Table 4).
Drug prevalence data indicate that adolescent methamphetamine use appears to be highest among White and Hispanic adolescents. MTF 2003 ethnicity data--available only for eighth, tenth, and twelfth graders--show that rates of past year methamphetamine use among White students were 2.7, 4.2, and 3.5 percent for eighth, tenth, and twelfth graders, respectively, similar to rates among Hispanic eighth (3.2%), tenth (4.6%), and twelfth (3.4%) graders. By comparison, rates of past year methamphetamine use among Black students were 0.8, 0.6, and 1.4 percent for eighth, tenth, and twelfth graders, respectively. Methamphetamine use appears to be higher in rural areas than in large metropolitan areas. MTF data for 2003 show that the rate of past year methamphetamine use among students and adults in rural areas was higher than rates in large metropolitan areas (see Table 5).
Trends in UseAccording to MTF, past year use of methamphetamine among adults fluctuated but declined overall from 1999 to 2003 (see Figure 4). NSDUH data are available for 2002 and 2003 only and cannot be analyzed for longitudinal trends in rates of use; however, according to the data, rates of past year use for methamphetamine among adults were unchanged at 0.4 percent in both 2002 and 2003.
Data regarding methamphetamine use among adolescents also show downward trends overall since 1999. According to MTF 2004 data, the most notable trend in past year use was among eighth graders, who have reported a sharp decline from 1999 to 2004 (see Figure 5). NSDUH data show a decrease in past year methamphetamine use for adolescents aged 12 to 17 from 0.9 percent in 2002 to 0.7 percent in 2003.
Perceptions of UsePartnership Attitude Tracking Study (PATS) data indicate that most teens perceive great risk in using methamphetamine and that the proportion of teens perceiving risk associated with methamphetamine use has increased overall since 1996 (see Figure 6). The percentage of teens who believe there is great risk in people taking methamphetamine regularly has increased slightly from 77 percent in 1996 to 79 percent in 2003. The percentage of teens who believe there is great risk in taking methamphetamine once or twice increased from 41 percent in 1996 to 51 percent in 2003.
Data regarding the perception of risk associated with the use of ice methamphetamine among older teens and adults are mixed. While the percentages of college students and adults saying there is great risk in people trying ice methamphetamine increased overall from 1992 to 2003, data for twelfth graders are less encouraging. The percentage of twelfth graders perceiving great risk in people trying ice fell more than 10 percent from 1992 to 2003 (see Figure 7).
Trends in Consequences of UseThe consequences of methamphetamine use as evidenced by Emergency Department (ED) mentions and treatment admissions are trending upward. Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) data show that the estimated number of ED mentions for methamphetamine fluctuated but increased overall from 15,933 in 1995 to 17,696 in 2002 (see Figure 8). TEDS data show that the number of methamphetamine-related admissions to publicly funded treatment facilities nearly doubled from 47,683 in 1995 to 81,799 in 2001 and increased again to 104,481 in 2002 (see Figure 9).
Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring (ADAM) data for 2003 indicate that the median percentage of adult males testing positive for methamphetamine (4.7%) was fourth behind the percentages testing positive for marijuana (44.1%), powder cocaine (30.1%), and heroin (5.8%). ADAM data also show that the median percentage of adult males reporting past year methamphetamine use was 7.7 percent. To Top To Contents To Previous Page To Next Page To Publications Page To Home Page UNCLASSIFIED |
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