In 2008, an estimated 2.9 million persons aged 12 or older used an illicit drug for the first time.  This averages to almost 8,000 initiates per day.  A majority of these initiates reported that their first drug was marijuana (56.6 percent).  Nearly one third initiated with psychotherapeutics (29.6 percent, including 22.5 percent with pain relievers, 3.2 percent with tranquilizers, 3.0 percent with stimulants and 0.8 percent with sedatives).  A sizable proportion reported inhalants (9.7 percent) as their first illicit drug, and a small proportion used hallucinogens as their first drug (3.2 percent).

Slightly more than half of Americans aged 12 or older reported being current drinkers of alcohol (51.6 percent).  This translates to an estimated 129.0 million people.

Most (84.6 percent) of the 4.5 million past year alcohol initiates were younger than age 21 at the time of initiation.

26.4 percent of underage persons (aged 12 to 20) reported past month drinking and 17.4 percent reported past month binge drinking.

An estimated 59.8 million persons ages 12 or older (23.9 percent of the population) were current users of a tobacco product.

The rate of substance dependence or abuse for youths aged 12 to 17 was higher among females than males (8.2 vs. 7.0 percent).

The percentage of youths aged 12 to 17 with substance dependence was 7.6 percent.

Adults aged 21 or older who had first used alcohol at age 14 or younger were more than 5 times as likely to be classified with alcohol dependence or abuse than adults who had their first drink at age 21 or older (15.1 vs. 2.6 percent).

In 2008, serious mental illness (SMI) was associated with past year substance abuse or dependence.  Among adults aged 18 or older with SMI in 2008, 25.2 percent (2.5 million) were dependent on or abusing alcohol or illicit drugs.

Adults having had a past year episode of major depression were more likely than those without a past year episode of major depression to be dependent on or abusing alcohol or illicit drugs (20.3 vs. 7.8 percent).

Among 12 to 17 year olds who had a past year major depressive episode, 37.4 percent has used illicit drugs during the same period.

In 2008, 23.1 million persons aged 12 or older needed treatment for an illicit drug or alcohol use problem (9.2 percent of persons aged 12 or older).

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