Education

Massachusetts Students and Substance Abuse

March 28, 2001 1 min read
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The following chart comes from a 1999 survey of about 7,000 students in Massachusetts. The figures represent the percentages of students at each grade level who reported making illicit use of the substances listed at least once.

Grade Level
6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Any Drug* 13.8% 22.9% 35.5% 50.9% 53.3% 60.9% 66.8%
Marijuana/Hashish 3.0 9.2 20.2 40.3 44.8 56.1 63.9
Inhalants 8.4 14.7 19.8 20.2 15.1 11.8 14.5
Psychedelics 1.1 2.2 6.3 12.7 14.7 18.9 24.2
Narcotics 0.6 1.2 4.3 6.2 9.1 11.7 12.2
Cocaine/Crack 1.1 3.2 4.6 7.4 7.4 8.8 9.5
Amphetamines 0.8 2.6 6.8 9.9 11.5 13.6 11.6
Tranquilizers 3.8 7.2 12.6 18.3 18.8 20.6 21.4
Steroids 1.3 2.2 4.0 4.4 4.9 2.6 3.1
Methamphetamine 0.9 1.4 2.6 3.9 4.1 5.0 5.0
MDMA* 0.3 1.9 4.3 9.9 12.8 16.8 21.3
Ketamine 1.1 1.7 3.0 3.6 4.7 4.6 6.2
GHB*** 0.5 1.0 3.2 4.5 5.1 5.2 6.1
Ritalin 1.1 2.6 6.3 11.9 12.7 13.7 12.5
Heroin 0.6 2.1 3.7 3.1 3.1 3.0 3.7

*Includes any drug listed here.
**Commonly known as Ecstasy, MDMA stands for methylenedioxymethamphetamine.
***GHB stands for gamma hydroxybutyrate, and is known by such names liquid x, Georgia home boy, Goop, gamma-oh, and grievous bodily harm.

SOURCES: Massachusetts Department of Public Health, 2001; U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration

A version of this article appeared in the March 28, 2001 edition of Education Week as Massachusetts Students and Substance Abuse

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