NCJ Number
156673
Date Published
1993
Length
17 pages
Annotation
Using four data sources, this study profiles the characteristics of heavy cocaine users, including their polydrug use, criminal activity, and health risks.
Abstract
The four data sources used for this report were the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, the National AIDS Demonstration Research Project, the Drug Use Forecasting Program, and the Drug Abuse Warning Network. These sources depict drug use by householders, arrestees, hard-core street addicts, and those who require emergency medical services. The data show that heavy cocaine users are twice as likely to be men as they are to be women; that minority group members are overrepresented among the heavy users; that a large percentage are unemployed and exist on marginal incomes; and that most heavy users live in urban areas. Additionally, the report found that most heavy cocaine users supplement their cocaine use with alcohol, sedatives, marijuana, heroin, and amphetamines; that many of the heavy users have recent involvement with the criminal justice system; that a significant number have poor health; and that many engage in behaviors that put them at risk for HIV infection, principally by injecting drugs. 4 tables and appended details on the data sources