A new report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) estimates that Boston and Boulder, Colo., are among the areas with the highest rates of past month marijuana use in the nation. Boston had an estimated 12.2 percent of the population ages 12 and older; Boulder, 10.3 percent. Northwestern Iowa and Southernmost Texas were among the areas with the lowest estimated rates at 2.3 percent and 2.6 percent, respectively.Data in the short report "Marijuana Use in Substate Areas" are derived from a new online report also released today, "Substate Estimates from the 1999-2001 National Surveys on Drug Use and Health." This report combines three years of data to estimate, for the first time, drug use in 331 localities. The areas were designated by the states. For example, New York has two areas, New York City and the rest of the state, while Pennsylvania has 23 areas.
The marijuana data highlighted in the short report show that of the 15 localities with the highest rates of past month marijuana use in the United States, five were in Massachusetts, three were in California and two were in Colorado. Four of the fifteen areas ranked with the lowest rates of marijuana use in the past month were in Iowa.
"As a nation we have made real progress in reducing drug use. These new data provide us with a powerful new tool that can be used to focus and refine our substance abuse prevention and treatment strategies," SAMHSA Administrator Charles Curie said. "Future survey findings will be very helpful to states and localities as they report on progress made in reducing substance abuse and apply for federal funding."
The reports reveal large variations in past month marijuana use across states. For example, rates of use in California ranged from a low of 4.9 percent in Orange County and Los Angeles County, to a high of 9.2 percent in Marin County, San Mateo County and San Francisco County. Rates in Colorado ranged from 6.3 percent in 27 counties covering eastern Colorado to 10.3 percent in Boulder County.
Among other areas with the highest rates of past month marijuana use were: Northern California; Western Colorado; part of the District of Columbia; the Island of Hawaii; Multnomah County, Ore.; Washington County, R.I.; and Northwestern Vermont.
Among other areas with the lowest rates of past month marijuana use were: Western Idaho; Eastern Kansas; Eastern Nebraska; North Dakota's Lake Region, South Central, Badlands and West Central regions; Southeastern Oklahoma; and parts of Eastern South Dakota.
The larger report, available online, details each of the over 300 substate areas and gives rates for 11 other indicators: past month use of any illicit drug; incidence rate of marijuana use; past month use of any illicit drug other than marijuana; past year use of cocaine; past month use of alcohol; past month binge use of alcohol; past month use of tobacco; past month use of cigarettes; perceptions of great risk of smoking marijuana once a month; perceptions of great risk of having five or more drinks of an alcoholic beverage once or twice a week; and perceptions of great risk of smoking one or more packs of cigarettes a day.
© 2005 HealthNewsDigest.com
