First Time Users of Tranquilizers (1965 - 2003)

Trends in Initiation of Non-Therapeutic Tranquilizer Use (1965 - 2003)

Source: National Survey on Drug Use and Health

Table 4.12A Numbers (in Thousands) of Persons Who Initiated Nonmedical Use of Tranquilizers in the United States, Their Mean Age at First Use, and Rates of First Use (Per 1,000 Person-Years of Exposure): 1965-2003, Based on 2002-2004 NSDUHs
YEAR NUMBER OF INITIATES (1,000s) MEAN AGE AGE-SPECIFIC RATES1
All Ages Under 18 18 or Older 12-17 18-25
1965 59 28 31 17.7 1.3 *
1966 62 * * 18.5 * *
1967 110 * 87 21.2 * 2.8
1968 155 26 129 21.1 1.2 4.4
1969 235 115 120 19.1 5.0 3.6
1970 218 116 102 18.3 4.9 3.4
1971 255 120 135 20.6 5.2 4.1
1972 374 150 224 19.2 6.1 6.9
1973 460 157 302 20.3 6.5 8.4
1974 462 225 237 18.6 9.1 7.4
1975 471 139 332 20.5 5.8 8.8
1976 492 201 291 20.0 8.3 7.9
1977 423 159 264 20.6 6.7 7.0
1978 394 118 276 21.0 5.1 7.6
1979 481 182 299 20.7 8.0 7.5
1980 385 137 248 20.1 6.3 6.9
1981 447 124 323 21.2 5.8 8.5
1982 416 96 320 21.9 4.6 7.8
1983 403 64 339 22.9 2.6 7.8
1984 468 91 377 23.8 4.3 7.5
1985 424 104 320 24.2 5.0 6.6
1986 391 97 294 24.6 4.8 5.8
1987 354 47 307 24.7 2.1 6.1
1988 415 59 356 25.5 2.9 7.7
1989 412 52 360 25.6 2.6 7.5
1990 377 78 299 24.9 4.1 6.0
1991 380 54 326 26.2 2.6 5.7
1992 441 73 368 28.0 3.3 5.9
1993 519 114 405 26.2 5.5 7.0
1994 467 107 360 24.3 5.1 7.4
1995 580 145 435 25.9 6.7 7.4
1996 659 174 485 23.1 7.7 11.4
1997 668 195 473 23.6 8.4 10.6
1998 860 246 614 24.1 10.4 12.6
1999 916 257 659 23.3 10.7 14.6
2000 1,298 355 943 25.0 14.6 19.4
2001 1,212 391 820 22.9 16.0 18.6
20022 1,253 410 843 23.0 16.6 18.0
20033 1,322 386 936 24.3 15.2 16.5
*Low precision; no estimate reported.
-- Not available.
NOTE: Comparisons between years, particularly between recent estimates and those from 10 or more years prior, should be made with caution due to potential bias from reporting and other sources.
1 The numerator of each rate is the number of persons in the age group who initiated use of the drug in the specified year, while the denominator is the person-time exposure of persons in the age group measured in thousands of years.
2 Estimated using 2003 and 2004 data only.
3 Estimated using 2004 data only.
Source: SAMHSA, Office of Applied Studies, National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 2002, 2003, and 2004.

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