Editing Substance abuse (section)

==Epidemiology==
[[File:Drug use disorders world map - DALY - WHO2004.svg|thumb|[[Disability-adjusted life year]] for drug use disorders per 100,000&nbsp;inhabitants in 2004:{{Div col|small=yes|colwidth=10em}}
{{legend|#b3b3b3|no data}}
{{legend|#ffff65|<40}}
{{legend|#fff200|40–80}}
{{legend|#ffdc00|80–120}}
{{legend|#ffc600|120–160}}
{{legend|#ffb000|160–200}}
{{legend|#ff9a00|200–240}}
{{legend|#ff8400|240–280}}
{{legend|#ff6e00|280–320}}
{{legend|#ff5800|320–360}}
{{legend|#ff4200|360–400}}
{{legend|#ff2c00|400–440}}
{{legend|#cb0000|>440}}
{{div col end}}]]

The initiation of drug use including alcohol is most likely to occur during adolescence, and some experimentation with substances by older adolescents is common. For example, results from 2010 [[Monitoring the Future]] survey, a nationwide study on rates of substance use in the United States, show that 48.2% of 12th graders report having used an illicit drug at some point in their lives.<ref name=MTF2010/> In the 30 days prior to the survey, 41.2% of 12th graders had consumed alcohol and 19.2% of 12th graders had smoked [[tobacco cigarette]]s.<ref name="MTF2010">{{Cite web |last1=Johnston |first1=L. D. |last2=O'Malley |first2=P. M. |last3=Bachman |first3=J. G. |last4=Schulenberg |first4=J. E. |date=2011 |title=Monitoring the Future national results on adolescent drug use: Overview of key findings, 2010 |url=http://monitoringthefuture.org/pubs/monographs/mtf-overview2010.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220907074920/http://monitoringthefuture.org/pubs/monographs/mtf-overview2010.pdf |archive-date=7 September 2022 |website=[[Monitoring the Future]] |publisher=[[University of Michigan Institute for Social Research]]}}</ref> In 2009 in the United States about 21% of high school students have taken prescription drugs without a prescription.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/media/pressrel/2010/r100603.htm |title=CDC Newsroom Press Release June 3, 2010 }}</ref> And earlier in 2002, the World Health Organization estimated that around 140 million people were alcohol dependent and another 400 million with alcohol-related problems.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Barker |first=Philip J. |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/53373798 |title=Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing : The Craft of Caring |date=2003 |publisher=[[Edward Arnold (publisher)|Arnold]] |isbn=978-0-340-81026-2 |location=London |pages=297 |oclc=53373798}}</ref>

Studies have shown that the large majority of adolescents will phase out of drug use before it becomes problematic. Thus, although rates of overall use are high, the percentage of adolescents who meet criteria for substance abuse is significantly lower (close to 5%).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Effective Child Therapy: Substance Abuse and Dependence |url=http://effectivechildtherapy.com/content/substance-abuse-dependence |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130503081916/http://effectivechildtherapy.com/content/substance-abuse-dependence |archive-date=3 May 2013 |website=EffectiveChildTherapy}}</ref> According UN estimates, there are "more than 50 million regular users of morphine diacetate (heroin), cocaine and synthetic drugs".<ref>{{Cite web |date=2000 |title=The Global Drugs Trade |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/in_depth/world/2000/drugs_trade/default.stm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220907082412/http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/in_depth/world/2000/drugs_trade/default.stm |archive-date=7 September 2022 |website=[[BBC News]]}}</ref>

More than 70,200 Americans died from [[drug overdose]]s in 2017.<ref name=NIDA-deaths/> Among these, the sharpest increase occurred among deaths related to [[fentanyl]] and [[:Category:Synthetic opioids|synthetic opioids]] (28,466 deaths).<ref name=NIDA-deaths/> See charts below.

<gallery mode="packed" heights="140" style="text-align:left">
File:Drug use is more common in more unequal countries.jpg|Drug use is higher in countries with high [[economic inequality]].
File:Alcohol by Country.png|Total recorded alcohol per capita consumption (15+), in litres of pure alcohol<ref>{{Cite book |date=2004 |title=Global Status Report on Alcohol 2004 |url=http://www.who.int/substance_abuse/publications/global_status_report_2004_overview.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080625062402/http://www.who.int/substance_abuse/publications/global_status_report_2004_overview.pdf |archive-date=25 June 2008 |publisher=[[World Health Organization]] |isbn=978-92-4-156272-0 |oclc=60660748}}]</ref>
File:US timeline. Number of overdose deaths from all drugs.jpg|Total yearly U.S. drug deaths<ref>[https://www.drugabuse.gov/related-topics/trends-statistics/overdose-death-rates Overdose Death Rates]. By [[National Institute on Drug Abuse]] (NIDA).</ref>
File:US timeline. Drugs involved in overdose deaths.jpg|U.S. yearly overdose deaths, and the drugs involved<ref name=NIDA-deaths/>
</gallery>