Why do you think this is ? The U.S. is 2% of the worlds population,

[russspeakeasy]

but we consume 65% of all the worlds hard drugs.
In our local central Florida newspaper, there is not a day that goes by without a major drug bust, drug related murder, or a drug money laundering scheme unveiled.
I'm probably dreaming, but maybe someone out there can give me a logical reason for the super consumption by our population. .

[brewens]

1. Good marketing. The producers knew where the money was. We lead

in consumption of everythin else.

[russspeakeasy]

5. Good point, but why would grade school age kids need the buzz.

The latest trend is 8 and 9 year old kids drinking "energy drinks". WTF ? And we end up blaming the school system for not teaching those darlings what they need to know.
My question still stands...We are 2% of the worlds population and consume 65% of the worlds hard drugs. Why ?
Television ? Bad parenting ?

[Travis_0004]

2. Do you have a source?

I think the 65% figgure sounds way high. Also, the US is closer to 4.5% of the earths population, so the fact that one percent was way off makes me a bit suspicious of your second number being accurate.

[HopeHoops]

3. A source for the information or a source for the drugs?

[russspeakeasy]

7. My source is Pete Hamill. He was a newspaper columnist for quite a

few years in the Miami/Dade area, then in New York City.(might have been New York first).
He's a novelist now. I don't question his accuracy, but even if he is off by some percentage, it's still a lopsided number.

[Scuba]

4. It's mostly this one major coke-head, but the cops got him, so things should revert to normal.

[IMG][/IMG]

[RZM]

6. I agree with poster above that you need to post a source

I'm sure the US consumes a high share of the world's hard drugs, but 65 percent sounds like it might be too high. Where did you get this number?

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

8. Everybody wants to go to heaven but nobody wants to die.

[Jim__]

9. Is that 65% of the illegal hard drug usage?

Or, does it include legal usage?

[russspeakeasy]

11. You have a point. Pete Hamill says, " 2% of the worlds population

(U.S.) consumes 65% of the worlds hard drugs".
I am not claiming that Hamill is a researcher, but a trustworthy, interested and observant writer.
I've been reading him for 30 years and have never had a reason to question his accuracy.
I came across this coulmn from the 90"s and it got me to wondering, so I asked for opinions as to why . .

[LiberalLoner]

10. I think we have a sick, dysfunctional society

That is all about shame.and heirarchy and this creates sick people who become addicted to drugs or food or shopping or sex or whatever.

I think we are profoundly disconnected from each other with no community.

[russspeakeasy]

12. That's my opinion also.

[qazplm]

13. we have the most money

we have the most advanced country, we are near a lot of the supply, we can afford a lot of drugs, we have relatively stressful lives compared to many other countries, or at least complicated lives, there are a whole lot of reasons.

we also have a somewhat unique puritan/rebel dynamic that results in a fairly unique profile, plus an extraordinarily diverse people with fairly widespread views.

[Igel]

14. Because of the way the numbers are reported.

And the use of the word "hard." And because of relative prosperity and cultural traits.

Let's leave aside the absurdity of the numbers cited. There's a skew, an imbalance, so why not propose some factors that could account for at least part of it.

1. We have people diligently reporting and estimating (based on reports and some assumptions) the amount of hard drugs that people not just actually import but are likely to import.

In Russia that kind of reporting is a national disgrace. You report what happens, making the problem seem smaller than it is to avoid the disgrace. You don't assume, in public, that for every pound of heroin intercepted a large amount wasn't. That's speculation contrary to the interests of the state. As in many other states, that'll get you arrested.


Then, at the end of the day, you total up all the published reports. For the US, the high numbers that result from speculation. For Russia, the lowball numbers that result from unambiguously reported stories.

2. It's difficult to import 20 tons of qat to the US or 10 tons of opium resin. Easier to refine it, focus on the more pure stuff. Drug use may be rampant but there are people saying it's not really hard drug use so it's not drug use at all. And, in the doses provided by the plant or resin, perhaps that's the right call. However, it makes comparisons difficult since a lot of consumption of morphine (in whatever form) is excluded from the data set.

3. Rich countries tend to have more cash around for buying refined drugs. If you have 50 lbs of refined heroin to convert to cash and could send it to the US or to Haiti, which would *you* choose?

4. Cultural norms. In the US, adolescent rebellion is considered a good thing. Adolescents form packs and often only believe that what the pack does is worthwhile--you find your individuality in obeying the law of the pack, they grant you your self-esteem and often define many of your moral/social/behavioral norms. Parents say drug use is bad, rebellion is good, you rebel by using drugs. Given the propensity for adolescents to seek short-term rewards at the risk of near-certain long-term harm, this is viewed as having few drawbacks.

Moreover, not only is rebellion "cool" among many peer groups, drug use is deemed cool. This encourages drug use. In countries where adolescents are integrated into adult society or aren't deemed to be the end-all/be-all of society (or allowed to think that they are) it's less of a problem. Then adolescents don't solely define their social world and behavioral norms.

[russspeakeasy]

15. Obviously, you have given this matter some study/thought.

In particular, number 4, really makes a point.
Grade school age kids using energy drinks, etc.
Jr. Highschool kids are having "pharma" parties.
They watch their peers die and know that it could never happen to "them". Thanks for your comments.