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DRUG USE
Table 6. Trends in Harmfulness of Drugs as Perceived by 8th, 10th, and 12th Graders, Monitoring the Future Study, 1991�2001
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Drug Behavior
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Percentage saying "great risk"1
|
|
1991
|
1992
|
1993
|
1994
|
1995
|
1996
|
1997
|
1998
|
1999
|
2000
|
2001
|
2000�2001
Change
|
|
8th grade
|
|
How much do you think people risk harming themselves
(physically or in other ways), if they . . .
|
|
Try marijuana once or
twice
|
40.4
|
39.1
|
36.2
|
31.6
|
28.9
|
27.9
|
25.3
|
28.1
|
28.0
|
29.0
|
27.7
|
-1.3
|
|
Smoke marijuana occasionally
|
57.9
|
56.3
|
53.8
|
48.6
|
45.9
|
44.3
|
43.1
|
45.0
|
45.7
|
47.4
|
46.3
|
-1.2
|
|
Smoke marijuana regularly
|
83.8
|
82.0
|
79.6
|
74.3
|
73.0
|
70.9
|
72.7
|
73.0
|
73.9
|
74.8
|
72.2
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-2.5s
|
|
Try crack once or twice2
|
62.8
|
61.2
|
57.2
|
54.4
|
50.8
|
51.0
|
49.9
|
49.3
|
48.7
|
48.5
|
48.6
|
+0.2
|
|
Take crack occasionally2
|
82.2
|
79.6
|
76.8
|
74.4
|
72.1
|
71.6
|
71.2
|
70.6
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70.6
|
70.1
|
70.0
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-0.1
|
|
Try cocaine powder once
or twice2
|
55.5
|
54.1
|
50.7
|
48.4
|
44.9
|
45.2
|
45.0
|
44.0
|
43.3
|
43.3
|
43.9
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+0.6
|
|
Take cocaine powder occasionally2
|
77.0
|
74.3
|
71.8
|
69.1
|
66.4
|
65.7
|
65.8
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65.2
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65.4
|
65.5
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65.8
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+0.4
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Approximate
N
|
17,437
|
18,662
|
18,366
|
17,394
|
17,501
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17,926
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18,765
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18,100
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16,700
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17,300
|
16,200
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|
|
10th grade
|
|
How much do you think
people risk harming themselves (physically or in other ways), if
they . . .
|
|
Try marijuana once or
twice
|
30.0
|
31.9
|
29.7
|
24.4
|
21.5
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20.0
|
18.8
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19.6
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19.2
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18.5
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17.9
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-0.5
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Smoke marijuana occasionally
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48.6
|
48.9
|
46.1
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38.9
|
35.4
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32.8
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31.9
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32.5
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33.5
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32.4
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31.2
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-1.2
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|
Smoke marijuana regularly
|
82.1
|
81.1
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78.5
|
71.3
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67.9
|
65.9
|
65.9
|
65.8
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65.9
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64.7
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62.8
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-1.9
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Try crack once or twice
|
70.4
|
69.6
|
66.6
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64.7
|
60.9
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60.9
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59.2
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58.0
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57.8
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56.1
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57.1
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+1.0
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Take crack occasionally
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87.4
|
86.4
|
84.4
|
83.1
|
81.2
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80.3
|
78.7
|
77.5
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79.1
|
76.9
|
77.3
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+0.4
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Try cocaine powder once
or twice
|
59.1
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59.2
|
57.5
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56.4
|
53.5
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53.6
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52.2
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50.9
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51.6
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48.8
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50.6
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+1.7
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Take cocaine powder occasionally
|
82.2
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80.1
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79.1
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77.8
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75.6
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75.0
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73.9
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71.8
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73.6
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70.9
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72.3
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+1.5
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Approximate
N
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14,719
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14,808
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15,298
|
15,880
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17,006
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15,670
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15,640
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15,000
|
13,600
|
14,600
|
14,000
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|
|
12th grade
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|
How much do you think
people risk harming themselves (physically or in other ways), if
they . . .
|
|
Try marijuana once or
twice
|
27.1
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24.5
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21.9
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19.5
|
16.3
|
15.6
|
14.9
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16.7
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15.7
|
13.7
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15.3
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+1.6
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Smoke marijuana occasionally
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40.6
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39.6
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35.6
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30.1
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25.6
|
25.9
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24.7
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24.4
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23.9
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23.4
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23.5
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+0.1
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Smoke marijuana regularly
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78.6
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76.5
|
72.5
|
65.0
|
60.8
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59.9
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58.1
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58.5
|
57.4
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58.3
|
57.4
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-0.9
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Try crack once or twice
|
60.6
|
62.4
|
57.6
|
58.4
|
54.6
|
56.0
|
54.0
|
52.2
|
48.2
|
48.4
|
49.4
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+1.0
|
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Take crack occasionally
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76.5
|
76.3
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73.9
|
73.8
|
72.8
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71.4
|
70.3
|
68.7
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67.3
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65.8
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65.4
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-0.4
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Try cocaine powder once
or twice
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53.6
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57.1
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53.2
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55.4
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52.0
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53.2
|
51.4
|
48.5
|
46.1
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47.0
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49.0
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+2.0
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Take cocaine powder occasionally
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69.8
|
70.8
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68.6
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70.6
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69.1
|
68.8
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67.7
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65.4
|
64.2
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64.7
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63.2
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-1.5
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Approximate
N
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2,549
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2,684
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2,759
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2,591
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2,603
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2,449
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2,579
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2,500
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2,300
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2,130
|
2,173
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Note: s=.05; Any inconsistency between the 2000�2001 change estimate and the respective prevalence estimates is due to rounding.
1Answer alternatives were: (1) no risk, (2) slight risk, (3) moderate risk, (4) great risk, and (5) can't say, drug unfamiliar.
28th and 10th grade: Beginning in 1997, data based on two-thirds of N indicated due to changes in questionnaire forms.
Source: Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Monitoring the Future study (December 2001).
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