How many young people are addicted to drugs?
According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, in 2006, 8.0% of youth in the United States (that’s more than 2 million) between the ages of 12 and 17 met diagnostic criteria for abuse or dependence (addiction) on illicit drugs or alcohol. Of these only 181,000 youths received treatment at a specialty facility–about 8.7 percent of youths who needed treatment.
