FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Jim Michie

April 19, 1999 Phone: (800) 487-4890

A continuation of current rates of first-time marijuana use by young people combined with an aging group of drug users is expected to result in a 57 percent increase in the need for drug abuse treatment by 2020, according to a new study conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

The new study, Marijuana Initiates And Their Impact On Future Drug Abuse Treatment Need, was published today in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence. It is based on data from SAMHSA's National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA).

Age of first marijuana use was found to be the most important predictor of future treatment need. The earlier drug use begins, the greater the risk of later problems and the need for treatment. For young people who begin using marijuana as early as age 8 to 13 (14 percent of new users each year), many will need treatment by age 15, and an even larger number will need treatment by age 18. Adolescent girls who had used marijuana had a greater risk of needing treatment than boys. Consistent with other studies, marijuana initiation is shown to be unlikely after age 21, with peak initiation rates occurring between ages 14 to16.

In addition to recent initiates, there continues to be a large group of drug users who began using drugs in the 1970s and 80s. This group remains at risk for a variety of social and health problems associated with heavy drug use and addiction, and will result in a large increase in treatment need among persons age 50 and older. In 1995, only about 4 percent of the population needing treatment was age 50 or older. By 2020, this percentage could be 17-34 percent.

The study also shows that an immediate 25 percent reduction in initiation rates could result in 1 million fewer people needing treatment by 2020.

"This study reinforces the need for the President's long term, comprehensive national drug control strategy and supports the Administration's budget request to Congress to fund programs needed to close the treatment gap and provide prevention services," said SAMHSA Administrator Nelba Chavez, Ph.D. "It is clear reducing drug abuse in America will require a long-term commitment of leadership and resources for treatment and prevention. These data can guide decisions about the levels of funding required to identify and address family, school, and mental health problems before they lead to substance abuse and the types of treatment programs that would be most beneficial."

H. Westley Clark, M.D., J.D., M.P.H., Director of the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT), noted that "CSAT is developing programs to deal with substance abuse in both older populations and adolescents. CSAT has published recent volumes on treating substance abuse among older Americans and on diagnosing and treating adolescents. We are currently comparing five outpatient approaches to treating adolescents with marijuana problems to evaluate them for efficacy and cost. We are also encouraging studies into the role of the primary care provider in diagnosing substance abuse problems."

The NHSDA provides annual estimates of the prevalence of illicit drug, alcohol, tobacco use in the U.S. and monitors the trends in use over time. It is based on a representative sample of the U.S. population aged 12 and older, including persons living in households and in some group quarters such as dormitories and homeless shelters.

SAMHSA, an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the lead Federal agency for improving the quality and availability of substance abuse prevention, addiction treatment, and mental health services in the United States. News media requests for information on SAMHSA's substance abuse and mental health programs should be directed to Media Services at 1-800-487-4890. This release may be obtained on the Internet at www.samhsa.gov