Those who institute programs to provide education and intervention are aware of the importance of reaching young people at high risk for using alcohol or drugs. For those who begin using illegal substances during their teen years, there is a longer exposure to the substances. In addition, the risks associated with teen drug abuse increase as they grow into young adults.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration periodically issues reports that provide information about drug use. This information is critical for drug treatment centers and provides policymakers with insight necessary to provide facilities that meet the needs of each community.

A recent report issued by SAMHSA indicates that there are some notable trends in drug and alcohol use in the United States. For instance, one major finding reported by the administration is that young adults seem to have the greatest increase in drug use. Specifically, this increase seems to have been fueled by marijuana use. While in 2007 about 14.4 million people in America were smoking marijuana, the number increased to 17.4 million in 2010. This reflects over a percentage increase in marijuana usage from 5.8 percent up to 6.9 percent.

The director of SAMHSA’s Office of Applied Studies, Peter J. Delany, explains that it is important to reach individuals with education and prevention measures before they hit the young adult age group. Young adults are entering college, beginning careers and planning families and are in danger of experiencing very negative consequences as a result of illegal drug use.

The SAMHSA report also indicated that the number of Americans using illegal drugs is increasing, with 22.6 million (8.9 percent) reporting usage. In addition, illegal abuse of prescription painkillers also has seen an increase, with 55 percent of users obtaining the drugs from relatives or a friend. Less than one percent of prescription painkiller abusers obtained the drugs using the Internet.

Pamela S. Hyde, SAMHSA Administrator, commented on the importance of promoting prevention, treatment and recovery programs across the United States. She emphasized the need to view the statistics as representing real lives that may experience devastating effects of illicit drug use.

The report also included some evidence of improvement in certain areas, such as a decrease in individuals using methamphetamine from 731,000 users in 2006 to 353,000 in 2010. Cocaine also showed a significant drop, with 2.4 million using in 2006 decreasing to 1.5 million in 2010.

Alcohol use decreased among teens between 2009 and 2010, with a decline from 14.7 percent to 13.6 percent. The use of tobacco also showed a decline from 11.6 percent during 2009 to 10.7 percent in 2010.