The toughest policies - the highest use. It would be hilarious if it
wasn't so tragic.
United States Has Highest Level Of Illegal Cocaine And Cannabis Use
ScienceDaily (July 1, 2008) — A survey of 17 countries has found that
despite its punitive drug policies the United States has the highest
levels of illegal cocaine and cannabis use. The study, by Louisa
Degenhardt (University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia) and
colleagues, is based on the World Health Organization's Composite
International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI).
The authors found that 16.2% of people in the United States had used
cocaine in their lifetime, a level much higher than any other country
surveyed (the second highest level of cocaine use was in New Zealand,
where 4.3% of people re****ted having used cocaine). Cannabis use was
highest in the US (42.4%), followed by New Zealand (41.9%).
In the Americas, Europe, Japan, and New Zealand, alcohol had been used by
the vast majority of survey participants, compared to smaller pro****tions
in the Middle East, Africa, and China.
The survey found differences in both legal and illegal drug use among
different socioeconomic groups. For example, males were more likely than
females to have used all drug types; younger adults were more likely than
older adults to have used all drugs examined; and higher income was
related to drug use of all kinds. Marital status was found to be related
to tobacco, cannabis, and cocaine use, but not alcohol use (the never
married and previously married having higher odds of lifetime cocaine and
cannabis use than the currently married; tobacco use is more likely in
people who have been previously married while less likely among the never
married).
Drug use "does not appear to be simply related to drug policy," say the
authors, "since countries with more stringent policies towards illegal
drug use did not have lower levels of such drug use than countries with
more liberal policies." In the Netherlands, for example, which has more
liberal policies than the US, 1.9% of people re****ted cocaine use and
19.8% re****ted cannabis use.
Data on drug use were available from 54,068 survey participants in 17
countries. The 17 countries were determined by the availability of
research collaborators and on funding for the survey. Trained lay
interviewers carried out face-to-face interviews (except in France where
the interviews were done over the telephone) using a standardized,
structured diagnostic interview for psychiatric conditions and drug use.
Participants were asked if they had ever used alcohol, tobacco, cannabis,
or cocaine.
The study's main limitations are that only 17 countries were surveyed,
within these countries there were different rates of participation, and it
is unclear whether people accurately re****t their drug use when
interviewed. Nevertheless, the findings present comprehensive data on the
patterns of drug use from national samples representing all regions of the
world.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080630201007.htm
--
Dr John Watson
Baker Street
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