Seasonality of Youth's First Time Use of Marijuana, Cigarettes, or Alcohol 

The NSDUH Report:  Seasonality of Youth's First Time Use of Marijuana, Cigarettes, or Alcohol 

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Highlights

• SAMHSA's 2002 National Survey on Drug Use and Health asked respondents aged 12 or older how old they were when they first used marijuana, cigarettes, or alcohol. Recent new users were also asked which month they initiated use.

• In general, June and July were the months at highest risk for the initiation of alcohol, marijuana, or cigarettes by youth.

• MARIJUANA: First use of marijuana among recent new users was highest during June (11%) and July (11%) and lowest during November (7%) and December (6%).

• CIGARETTES: Recent youth cigarette initiates were more likely to have initiated use during June (13%) and July (12%) and less likely during December (5%) and February (5%).

• ALCOHOL: Among recent new users of alcohol, first use was highest during December (13%), January (13%), June (12%), and July (12%). February had the lowest percentage (5%) of youths initiating alcohol use.

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Reports on Alcohol

Reports on Other Drugs

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This Short Report, The NSDUH Report:  Seasonality of Youth's First Time Use of Marijuana, Cigarettes, or Alcohol, is based on SAMHSA's  National Survey on Drug Use and Health, formerly called the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA) conducted by the Office of Applied Studies (OAS) in the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).  SAMHSA's National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NHSDA/NSDUH) is the primary source of information on the prevalence, patterns, and consequences of drug and alcohol use and abuse in the general U.S. civilian non institutionalized population, age 12 and older.   The NHSDA/NSDUH also provides estimates for drug use by state.