More Than 2 Million US Adolescents Using Illicit Drugs

More than two million young Americans between the ages of 12 and 17 use illicit drugs, the Government Accountability Office noted in a new report.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — "In 2015, approximately 2.2 million adolescents aged 12 to17 were current users of illicit drugs," the report stated on Tuesday.

The Drug-Free Communities (DFC) Act of 1997 established the DFC Support Program, which is a US federal grant program supporting drug abuse prevention efforts that engage schools, law enforcement, and other sectors of a community, the GAO recalled.

The program targets reductions in the use of alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, and the illicit use of prescription drugs, the report said.

According to the US government, 23.5 million Americans are addicted to alcohol and drugs. That is approximately one in every ten Americans over the age of 12 — roughly equaling the entire population of the state of Texas. But only 11 percent of those with an addiction receive treatment.

President Donald Trump vowed to crack down on the drug trade and to expand treatment for teenagers, schoolchildren and other young Americans suffering from drug addiction during his election campaign.