NATIONAL HOUSEHOLD SURVEY ON DRUG ABUSE: population density

1997 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse

Marijuana Use, by Age Group, Population Density, and Region (Tables 3.1 to 3.3)

Metropolitan areas tended to have higher rates of marijuana use than nonmetropolitan areas, but the differences were small (Tables 3.1 to 3.3). Among youths aged 12 to 17, significant differences were found between small metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas for all three periods of marijuana use (i.e., lifetime, past year, and past month); additionally, youths in large and small metropolitan areas were significantly more likely than were youths in nonmetropolitan areas to report past month use of marijuana. For young adults aged 18 to 25, significant past month differences were seen between those in large and small metropolitan areas and those in nonmetropolitan areas. Among 26 to 34 year olds, past month use was significantly higher among those in large metropolitan areas than among those in small metropolitan areas.

Differential patterns of marijuana use by geographic region also were small. In general, some of the highest rates of use were reported by residents of the West, although not all differences between regions reached statistical significance. For the total sample, past year and past month use were more likely among those in the West than those in the South and the Northeast, and among those in the North Central region than those in the Northeast. The pattern of higher rates of use in the West and North Central regions was generally true within most age groups.

This page was last updated on June 16, 2008.

SAMHSA, an agency in the Department of Health and Human Services, is the Federal Government's lead agency for improving the quality and availability of substance abuse prevention, addiction treatment, and mental health services in the United States.

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