LSD Addiction Help

Get LSD statistics & facts here. This LSD Statistics article looks at who is using acid, where it is most often used, and the effects of this hallucinogenic drug. Facts on what mental problems acid use can cause are scary. 

LSD Statistics and Facts

LSD is a powerful drug that causes hallucinations. However, with the amount of education on how dangerous it is, the drug is not very widely used. The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) reports LSD statistics and facts saying more than 200,000 people use LSD for the first time each year. Indeed, only 9.7 percent of the population above the age of 12 has used LSD once in a lifetime. However, this means that there is still a substantial amount of LSD abuse going on in the United States.

LSD fact in the 1960s

LSD reached the height of its popularity in the 1960s. It is considered a relatively new drug, first synthesized in 1938. Even though it was used as a therapeutic drug, by the 1960s LSD was being abused as a recreational drug. Even now it is used in other countries for aid in meditation and other transcendental practices. And in the United States, though it is banned, it is still used illegally. However, LSD is often only experimented with and most users do not go on to be regular abusers.

LSD facts on use amongst high school students and young adults

LSD abuse has been declining steadily since 2002. After a brief resurgence in the 1990s, the use of LSD appears to be dropping. LSD statistics show that high school students report an especially low use of LSD. Only 3.5 percent of high school seniors report using LSD at least once in their lifetime. The numbers go down for 8^th graders and 10^th graders (1.9 percent and 2.5 percent, respectively). These LSD facts indicate that LSD is either not widely available, or that teenagers consider it dangerous.

LSD statistics show that the rate of LSD abuse is a little higher in the age group of 18 to 25 year olds. Indeed, this is the age group that sees the largest amount of LSD use. The NSDUH reports that 12.1 percent of young adults in the 18 to 25 age group have tried LSD once in their lifetime. However, this is down from 15.9 percent in 2002. So, these LSD facts show that LSD use is declining in all age groups - at least in the short term.

LSD and experimentation

Most LSD statistics agree that the drug is not something that is often used regularly. Indeed, most LSD abuse occurs through experimentation. Users give it a try once. Often this happens at parties or raves. However, even at parties and raves, LSD is not the most common hallucinogen present. PCP and ecstasy are both more likely to be found at raves and parties than LSD.

LSD is not used often as a regular drug due to its intense nature. The likelihood of a “bad trip” is well-known, and that keeps many would-be LSD abusers from trying the drug for casual use. Just one “bad trip”, and the associated risk of acid flashbacks, can be the grounds for not using LSD again for many. This is the reason that LSD is not considered to be really addictive. However, a tolerance for the drug can be built up, and the mental effects can be devastating. In fact, most LSD abuse results in mental effects that are harder to treat than the physical effects.