The rate of illicit drug use rose nearly 9 percent last year, according to a national survey by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
About 8.7 percent of Americans age 12 and older — about 21.8 million people — reported using illegal drugs in 2009, according to the survey. That’s up from the 8 percent of the population that reported doing so in 2008.
The most commonly used drug was marijuana. In 2009, 6.6 percent of Americans age 12 and older — 16.7 million people — reported using marijuana, up from 6.1 percent in 2008, or 15.2 million people.
The government said increases in marijuana, ecstasy and prescription drugs fueled the overall rise in drug use.
The full report is available as a pdf here.
