We're Number One

[alienlovechild 75]

There was some speculation on illegal drug usage in America on VJ recently so this one is hot off the press.

Americans are world's top drug users: study

Jul 1 12:07 PM US/Eastern

Americans are the world's top consumers of cannabis and cocaine despite punitive US drug laws, according to an international study published in the online scientific magazine PLoS Medicine. The study, released Monday, revealed that 16.2 percent of Americans had tried cocaine at least once, and 42.4 percent had used marijuana.

In second-place New Zealand, just 4.3 percent of study participants had used cocaine, and 41.9 percent marijuana.

The research was conducted at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, based on World Health Organization data from 54,068 people in 17 countries.

Rates of participation differed from country to country, and researchers noted uncertainty over how honestly people report their own drug use.

"Nevertheless, the findings present comprehensive data on the patterns of drug use from national samples representing all regions of the world," a PLoS statement said.

A vast majority of survey participants from the United States, Europe, Japan and New Zealand had consumed alcohol, compared to smaller percentages from the Middle East, Africa and China.

The data also revealed socioeconomic patterns in drug use. Single young adult men with high income had the greatest tendency to regularly use drugs.

Drug use "does not appear to be simply related to drug policy," the researchers wrote, "since countries with more stringent policies toward illegal drug use did not have lower levels of such drug use than countries with more liberal policies."

In the Netherlands, where drug policy is more liberal than the United States, 1.9 percent of survey participants said they had used cocaine and 19.8 percent marijuana.

Twelve US 12 states including California permit medical use of marijuana, but possession and use remains prohibited under federal law.

And despite the US government's massive anti-drug efforts, the United States remains the world's top drug market, one amply supplied by South American cartels.

The US Drug Enforcement Agency has observed ever larger quantities of illegal drugs pouring into the country.

"We are seizing greater quantities of illegal drugs than ever before," said a DEA statement last week.

In 2007, agents seized 41 metric tons of cocaine in just two raids, and denied drug traffickers record-breaking revenue of 3.5 billion dollars for the year, it said.

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=08...;show_article=1

[Sinergy 3]

something to be proud of???

[Amby 490]

haha I thought we were going to be number one at something good

[Peikko 1,575]

The article regarding prohibition and its unwanted effects was interesting viz-a-viz drug use. Another reason why I dislike the puritanical view of the world. It's so incompromising and produces these negative backlashes that cause more problems than they solve. However, with the zealots still holding sway - not to mention the corrupting effect of 'dirty' money I doubt a real solution to drug use is going to come along any time soon.

[zqt3344 21]

Simple, the Americans have all the money to buy those drugs and use them at leisure unlike other countries.

There was some speculation on illegal drug usage in America on VJ recently so this one is hot off the press.

Americans are world's top drug users: study

Jul 1 12:07 PM US/Eastern

Americans are the world's top consumers of cannabis and cocaine despite punitive US drug laws, according to an international study published in the online scientific magazine PLoS Medicine. The study, released Monday, revealed that 16.2 percent of Americans had tried cocaine at least once, and 42.4 percent had used marijuana.

In second-place New Zealand, just 4.3 percent of study participants had used cocaine, and 41.9 percent marijuana.

The research was conducted at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, based on World Health Organization data from 54,068 people in 17 countries.

Rates of participation differed from country to country, and researchers noted uncertainty over how honestly people report their own drug use.

"Nevertheless, the findings present comprehensive data on the patterns of drug use from national samples representing all regions of the world," a PLoS statement said.

A vast majority of survey participants from the United States, Europe, Japan and New Zealand had consumed alcohol, compared to smaller percentages from the Middle East, Africa and China.

The data also revealed socioeconomic patterns in drug use. Single young adult men with high income had the greatest tendency to regularly use drugs.

Drug use "does not appear to be simply related to drug policy," the researchers wrote, "since countries with more stringent policies toward illegal drug use did not have lower levels of such drug use than countries with more liberal policies."

In the Netherlands, where drug policy is more liberal than the United States, 1.9 percent of survey participants said they had used cocaine and 19.8 percent marijuana.

Twelve US 12 states including California permit medical use of marijuana, but possession and use remains prohibited under federal law.

And despite the US government's massive anti-drug efforts, the United States remains the world's top drug market, one amply supplied by South American cartels.

The US Drug Enforcement Agency has observed ever larger quantities of illegal drugs pouring into the country.

"We are seizing greater quantities of illegal drugs than ever before," said a DEA statement last week.

In 2007, agents seized 41 metric tons of cocaine in just two raids, and denied drug traffickers record-breaking revenue of 3.5 billion dollars for the year, it said.

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=08...;show_article=1

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

Prohibition leads to more use.

[Nessa 23]

Simple, the Americans have all the money to buy those drugs and use them at leisure unlike other countries.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Prohibition leads to more use.

Amen to that, brother.

[CBR 0]

I can't believe it's not Jamaica mon with the marijuana, wow! Isn't that the motherland for weed smokers?