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.
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.
