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Illicit and Illegal Drugs

Substance abuse is among the major public health concerns of the 20th century. However defined, excessive use of illegal drugs and prescribed medications is an all-too-common societal problem, not only in the United States, but across the globe. The negative effects of excessive substance use influence not only the individuals who use these substances but also their immediate and extended families and society in general. Moreover, illicit substance use is connected to many of the most pressing of our societal ills, including illness, crime, violence, and homelessness.

Scope of the Problem

For illicit psychoactive substances, the lifetime prevalence of drug abuse or dependence is roughly 6% in the United States, with lifetime cannabis abuse (i.e., 4.6%) being the most common. The World Health Organization estimates that 28 million people worldwide incur significant health risks by using psychoactive substances other than alcohol. Annually, heroin and cocaine use claims 10,000 lives. Moreover, the results of the 2006 National Survey on Drug Use and Health revealed the following staggering statistics:

(a) An estimated 20.4 million Americans, 12 or older, are current users of illegal drugs; (b) marijuana is the most commonly used drug, used by nearly 73% of current drug users; (c) of the 9.6 million current users of illegal drugs other than marijuana, 7 million are current users of psychotherapeutic drugs (e.g., tran-quilizers, sedatives, and stimulants), and most of these users (5.2 million) use prescription pain medication for nonmedicai purposes; (d) approximately 12.3 million Americans 12 or older have tried ecstasy at least once in their lifetime; (e) 338,000 Americans reported current heroin use; (f) 1 million Americans 12 or older are current users of hallucinogens; (g) 2.4 million Americans 12 or older are current users of cocaine and 702,000 use crack cocaine; and (h) 731,000 Americans reported current use of methamphetamine.

Estimates of the yearly economic social costs arising from illicit drug use are enormous. According to the Office of National Drug Control Policy, in the year 2000, Americans spent an estimated $36 billion on cocaine, $11 billion on marijuana, $10 billion on heroin, $5.4 billion on methamphetamine, and $2.4 billion on other illegal drugs. An estimated 260 tons of cocaine and 13.3 tons of heroin were used by Americans in 2000. Relatedly, individuals who abuse drugs consume a disproportionately large share of social resources (drug abuse treatment, treatment of secondary health effects, social welfare programs, and criminal justice system). In fact, estimates from the Office of National Drug Control Policy of the societal cost of drug abuse was over $180 billion for the year 2002, with an average annual rise in costs of 5.3% per year since 1992.

Common Drugs of Abuse

Most drugs are typically developed for medicinal purposes with the intention to be used to treat specific disorders (e.g., psychological, mental, physical) or to minimize pain (i.e., morphine). However, when these drugs are not taken as prescribed (e.g., taking more pills than necessary), there is a potential for abuse or dependence.

This section provides a general description of common drugs of abuse. The effects and symptoms listed for each drug have been adapted and modified from information collected from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).

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