Substance use trajectories in the year after initiation vary greatly by substance, according to a recent analysis of data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. For most drugs, more than half of initiates did not continue to use the drug in the year after their first use. In fact, alcohol and marijuana were the only substances for which the majority of initiates continued to use the substance one year after initiating use.

The highest rates of dependence in the year after initiation were for heroin and crack cocaine, followed by marijuana. All other substances had year-after-initiation dependence rates of 5% or less.

Interestingly, the drugs with the highest dependence rates (heroin and crack cocaine) also had the highest rates of nonuse in the year after initiation, indicating that while very few go on to continue using these drugs in the year after initiation, those that do have a greater chance of developing dependence.

For details, including data charts, source information and caveats, download the PDF.

Reprinted from CESAR Fax, a weekly, one-page overview of timely substance abuse trends or issues, from the Center for Substance Abuse Research (CESAR) at the University of Maryland.