Lifetime
|
Past year
|
Past month
|
Alcohol
|
82.5
|
66.4
|
51.8
|
Tobacco
|
68.7
|
32.8
|
27.4
|
* Percentage using in designated time period
|
Source: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2011).Results from the 2010 national survey on drug use and health: Summary of national findings. Rockville, MD: Author.
With this backdrop, we now discuss these two legal but very harmful drugs in greater detail.
Alcohol
Moderate alcohol use (more than one drink per day for an adult female and two drinks per day for an adult male) is relatively safe for most people and may even have health benefits (Harvard School of Public Health, 2012). [5] The problem is that many people drink much more than moderately. As the Harvard School of Public Health (2012) [6] explains, “If all drinkers limited themselves to a single drink a day, we probably wouldn’t need as many cardiologists, liver specialists, mental health professionals, and substance abuse counselors. But not everyone who likes to drink alcohol stops at just one. While most people drink in moderation, some don’t.”
SAMHSA survey data show the extent of such problem drinking, as its survey measures both binge drinking (five or more drinks on the same occasion—within two hours of each other—on at least one day in the past month) and heavy drinking (binge drinking on at least five days in the past month). Table 7.2 "Prevalence of Binge and Heavy Alcohol Use, 2010*" presents the relevant data for people 12 and older and also for those aged 18–20, the customary age for people in their first two years of college.
Table 7.2 Prevalence of Binge and Heavy Alcohol Use, 2010*
Dostları ilə paylaş: |
