Substance Abuse Trends
TOP 10 ILLEGAL DRUG ADDICTIONS
People struggling with substance abuse turn to the internet for help and information every day. Whether searching for signs of an addiction, addictions treatment resources, or addict relapse prevention, the ratios within these search statistics help us understand the nature of substance abuse today.
The following table highlights the most common substances found in online searches for addictions to legal drugs. How does this knowledge challenge your assumptions? How can you use this information to prevent addictions in your community?
The following table highlights the most common substances found in online searches for addictions to legal drugs. How does this knowledge challenge your assumptions? How can you use this information to prevent addictions in your community?
Top 10 Addictions - Legal Drugs:
| 1 | CRACK | 152,895 * |
| 2 | COCAINE | 144,336 |
| 3 | HEROIN | 128,398 |
| 4 | METH | 103,328 |
| 5 | MARIJUANA | 65,548 |
| 6 | CRYSTAL | 15,851 |
| 7 | OPIATE | 14,607 |
| 8 | SPEED | 3,387 |
| 9 | AMPHETAMINE | 3,173 |
| 10 | ECSTACY | 2,846 |
* Estimated annual searches across all search engines in phrases including 'addiction', 'addictions', 'addict', 'addicting' and 'addictive'.
The top 4 drugs in this list account for over 80% of searches, indicating the dominance of crack, cocaine, heroin and meth as today's most prominent illegal drug addictions.
While the addictiveness of marijuana is a disputed topic, it is frequently searched online in relation to addictions. In fact, searches for marijuana addiction happen 20 times more frequently than searches for speed or ecstacy.
Knowing what people are searching for helps concerned citizens respond to addiction issues effectively - working from the position of knowledge instead of uncertainty.
Additional topics in this series:
Complete analysis of addictions online search trends available at:
http://www.clearhavencenter.com/addictions-research
http://www.clearhavencenter.com/addictions-research