Methamphetamine National Survey
Highlights:
- Methamphetamine use as recorded by SAMHSA's [U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration] National Survey on Drug Use and Health includes both prescription preparations (i.e., Desoxyn® and Methedrine) and non-prescription/illicit methamphetamine.
- In 2004, an estimated 1.4 million persons aged 12 or older (0.6% of the population) had used methamphetamine in the past year, and 600,000 persons (0.2% of the population) had used methamphetamine in the past month
- Although the number of past year and past month methamphetamine users did not change significantly between 2002 and 2004, the number of past month methamphetamine users who met criteria for abuse or dependence on one or more illicit drugs in the past year increased from 164,000 (27.5% of past month methamphetamine users) in 2002 to 346,000 (59.3%) in 2004.
The average age of first use among new methamphetamine users was 18.9 years in 2002, 20.4 years in 2003, and 22.1 years of age in 2004.
