September 14, 2001

Beliefs Among T
he 1999 National Household Survey on
Drug Abuse (NHSDA) asked
respondents how much they think
Youths About people risk harming themselves physically and
in other ways when they use illicit drugs.
Response choices were: (1) no risk; (2) slight risk;
Risks from (3) moderate risk; and (4) great risk. Respondents
were asked about the risk from using marijuana,

Illicit Drug Use LSD, cocaine, or heroin once or twice a week.

They were also asked about the risk from
smoking marijuana once or twice a week.

In Brief Perceptions of Risk

Substance use has been shown to be closely
● Most youths aged 12 to 17
related to the perception of risk associated with
perceived great risk from using use; substance use is generally lower among
illicit drugs once or twice a week those who perceive great risk associated with
use.1 Of the estimated 23 million youths aged
● The percentages of youths who 12 to 17 in the United States, the 1999 NHSDA
perceived great risk from using indicated that almost 13 million (57 percent)
marijuana or cocaine once or perceived great risk from smoking marijuana
once or twice a week, 17 million (79 percent)
twice a week decreased
perceived great risk from using LSD once or
between 1994 and 1999 twice a week, and almost 19 million perceived
great risk from using cocaine (82 percent) or
● Youths perceiving great risk from heroin (84 percent) once or twice a week.
using marijuana once or twice a Females were more likely than males to
week were less likely to use perceive great risk from using marijuana once or
twice a week; however, males and females were
substances than youths
about equally as likely to perceive great risk from
perceiving moderate, slight, or using LSD (Figure 1). White youths were the
no risk most likely of all racial/ethnic groups to perceive
great risk from using LSD, cocaine, or heroin

The NHSDA Report is published periodically by the Office of Applied Studies, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
All material appearing in this report is in the public domain and may be reproduced or copied without permission from SAMHSA. Additional copies
of this report may be downloaded from www.samhsa.gov/oas/facts.cfm. Citation of the source is appreciated. Other reports from the Office of
Applied Studies are also available on-line: www.DrugAbuseStatistics.samhsa.gov.
NHSDA REPORT: BELIEFS AMONG YOUTHS ABOUT RISKS FROM ILLICIT DRUG USE September 14, 2001

Figure 2. Percentages of Youths Aged 12 to 17

Figure 1. Percentages of Youths Aged 12 to 17
Reporting Perceptions of Great Risk from Using
Reporting Perceptions of Great Risk from Using
Illicit Drugs Once or Twice a Week, by Race/
Illicit Drugs Once or Twice a Week, by Gender: 1999
Ethnicity: 1999

100
100

87.1
85.1
81.0

80.3

79.7
78.8
77.7

77.8
Percent Reporting Perceptions
83.9 84.8

75.6
Percent Reporting Perceptions

82.1 82.8

73.8
74.1
73.6

71.7
80

70.8
79.0 78.6

70.3
80

63.3
58.5
of Great Risk

52.8
of Great Risk

59.2 60

49.6
60 53.9

45.6
40 40

20 20

0 0
Marijuana LSD Cocaine Heroin Marijuana LSD Cocaine Heroin

White Asian Black Hispanic

Females Males
American Indian/Alaska Native

once or twice a week, and they were their male peers to perceive great
second most likely to perceive great Risk Beliefs and risk from using marijuana once or
risk from using marijuana (Figure Substance Use twice a week. Although this finding
2). American Indian/Alaska Native mirrors the lower percentage of
youths consistently were the least According to the 1999 NHSDA, use females (6.7 percent) than males (7.8
likely of racial/ethnic groups to of illicit drugs, cigarettes, and percent) who reported using
perceive great risk from using these alcohol was lower among youths marijuana in the past month, it is
illicit drugs once or twice a week. who perceived great risk from unlikely that any single factor solely
smoking marijuana once or twice a accounts for this difference.
week than among those who White youths were generally
perceived moderate, slight, or no
Perceptions of Risk risk (Figure 4). For example,
more likely to perceive great risk
from using illicit drugs once or twice
Have Decreased 2 percent of youths who perceived a week than youths from other
great risk from smoking marijuana racial/ethnic groups. American
The percentages of youths who
once or twice a week reported past Indian/Alaska Native youths were
reported perceptions of great risk
month use of marijuana/hashish less likely than youths from other
from using marijuana and cocaine
compared with 15 percent of youths racial/ethnic groups to perceive
once or twice a week decreased
who perceived moderate, slight, or great risk. This finding corresponds
significantly from 1994 to 1999
no risk from smoking marijuana to the higher percentage of
(Figure 3). For example, almost 59
once or twice a week. American Indian/Alaska Native
percent of youths in 1994 perceived
great risk from smoking marijuana youths who reported using illicit
once or twice a week compared to drugs in the past month (20 percent)
less than 53 percent of youths in Summary relative to youths from other racial/
1999. Similarly, 84 percent of ethnic groups (white, 10 percent;
In 1999, a majority of youths aged
youths in 1994 perceived great risk black, 9 percent; Asian, 7 percent;
12 to 17 perceived great risk from
from using cocaine once or twice a and Hispanic, 10 percent).
smoking marijuana or using LSD,
week compared to 80 percent of Perceptions of great risk from
cocaine, or heroin once or twice a
youths in 1999. using marijuana and cocaine once
week. Females were more likely than
or twice a week significantly
September 14, 2001
Figure 3. Percentages of Youths Aged 12 to 17
Reporting Perceptions of Great Risk from Using
Illicit Drugs: 1994 to 1999
90
84.0
Percent Reporting Perceptions
80
of Great Risk
70
60 58.5
50
1994 1995
decreased from 1994 to 1999. This
finding also mirrors the increasing
rate of past month marijuana/
hashish use among youths during
this time period, from 6 percent in
1994 to 7 percent in 1999, but it is
insufficient to provide a complete
explanation for the increase. Youths
who perceived great risk from
smoking marijuana once or twice a
week were less likely in 1999 to use
substances than youths who
perceived less risk (see Figure 4).
The National Household Survey on Drug Abuse
(NHSDA) is an annual survey sponsored by the
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration (SAMHSA). The 1999 data are
based on information obtained from nearly
70,000 persons aged 12 or older. The survey
collects data by administering questionnaires to
a representative sample of the population
through face-to-face interviews at their place of
residence.
The NHSDA Report is prepared by the Office of
Applied Studies (OAS), SAMHSA, and by RTI
in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina.
Information and data for this issue are based
on the following publication and statistics:
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration. (2000). Summary of findings
NHSDA REPORT: BELIEFS AMONG YOUTHS ABOUT RISKS FROM ILLICIT DRUG USE
Figure 4. Percentages of Youths Aged 12 to 17
Reporting Past Month Substance Use, by
Perceived Risk from Smoking Marijuana Once/
Twice a Week: 1999
40
Percent Reporting Past Month
82.4 81.6
81.4 80.4
30
Substance Abuse
25.5
24.2
20
14.5
9.9
10 7.6 7.9
57.1
54.0 54.4 1.8 2.2
52.6
0
Marijuana/ Other Illicit Cigarettes Alcohol
1996 1997 1998 1999 Hashish Drugs*
Cocaine Marijuana Great Other
statistically significant at the 0.01 level.
End Note
Fig. 4 – Data presented differ from previously
published data from the 1999 NHSDA because
1. Bachman, J.G., Johnston, L.D., & O’Malley,
P.M. (1998). Explaining recent increases in of corrections made to imputation procedures.
students’ marijuana use: Impacts of perceived *Other Illicit Drugs was defined as use at least
risks and disapproval, 1976 through 1996. once of cocaine (including crack), inhalants,
American Journal of Public Health, 88, 887- hallucinogens (including PCP and LSD), heroin,
892. or any prescription-type psychotherapeutic
used nonmedically, regardless of marijuana/
Figure Notes hashish use; marijuana/hashish users who also
used any of the other listed drugs are included.
Fig. 3 – All estimates were derived from paper-and- Source (all figures): SAMHSA 1999 NHSDA
pencil data collection;
1995 data are not available;
1999 estimates have been adjusted to reflect the
1998 distribution of past NHSDA interviewing
experience among field interviewers;
differences between 1994 &1999 estimates are
from the 1999 National Household Survey on Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Drug Abuse (DHHS Publication No. SMA 00- Administration. (1999). National Household
3466). Rockville, MD: Author. Survey on Drug Abuse Main Findings 1997
(DHHS Publication No. SMA 99-3295).
Also available on-line:
Rockville, MD: Author.
http://www.DrugAbuseStatistics.samhsa.gov.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Additional tables: 3.4A, 3.4B, 3.6A, 3.6B, 3.8B,
Administration. (1998). National Household
3.10A, 3.10B from http://www.samhsa.gov/oas/
Survey on Drug Abuse Main Findings 1996
nhsda/2kdetailedtabs/Vol_1_Part_3/V1P3.htm.
(DHHS Publication No. SMA 98-3200).
Additional tables: 1.14B, 1.15B, 1,27B from Rockville, MD: Author.
http://www.samhsa.gov/oas/nhsda/
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
2kdetailedtabs/Vol_1_Part_1/V1P1.htm.
Administration. (1996). National Household
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Survey on Drug Abuse: Main Findings 1994
Administration. (2000). National Household (DHHS Publication No. SMA 96-3085).
Survey on Drug Abuse Main Findings 1998 Rockville, MD: Author.
(DHHS Publication No. SMA 00-3381).
Rockville, MD: Author.