Drug Use : An Overview Page 7 notes

Page 7 Definitions and Overview Drug use affects: Every age group Every racial/ethnic group Every SES (socio-economic status) Every geographic division pdf pdf The Cost of Drugs in the U.S. Americans spent $100 billion to $150 billion a year on illicit drugs Americans consume greater than 60% of the world’s illicit drugs Drug offenders account for over 50% of all inmates in federal prisons College students spend over $4 billion annually for alcohol Tobacco & nicotine kill us at a rate of 300,000 a year…more than all of the drugs combined!

Definitions and Overview Revolutionary Uses of Drugs Vaccines: (19 th century): – Small pox, diphtheria, polio, whooping cough, measles, chicken pox, mumps, tetanus (preventable) Antibiotics: (1940’s) Sulfa drugs, penicillin (treat infections) Psychopharmacology: (1950’s) – Anti-psychotic drugs Oral Contraceptives: (1950’s) Contributed to the sexual revolution

Definitions and Overview Drug Use Risk Factors Early use Using alone Peer pressure Parental approval Perceived adult use Little religious commitment