Cocaine Statistics

Cocaine is made from the leaves of the coca plant. While this plant has been used in coutries for years it has in recent years become increasingly popular as a drug that is very widely abused. In the mid-19th century people used acid to crystallize the leaf into a salt like substance. In the early 1900's this was used as a substance sold to help people with various illnesses. This is still the case in some countries. However, we now know more about the addictive nature of the substance and the effects cocaine can have when abused (including death).

Some may think that the use of cocaine has lessened in recent history. Cocaine statistics from the Substance Abuse and Health Services Administration show that cocaine use was at its highest in the 1980's. In the 1990's the reportable use of cocaine dropped but has since been on the rise again.

According to the Office of National Drug Control Policy teen cocaine use among people 12 years old and over say that .7 percent of the population have used cocaine, including crack cocaine- within the past 30 days. At the rate that this number is rising it basically comes to exceed one million new users per year.

Crack cocaine is used more widely in adults than other age groups. Since 1994 the use of cocaine in college students is up from 2 percent to 4.8 percent (according to drug-statistics.com).