NCJ Number
203639
Date Published
September 2003
Length
181 pages
Annotation
This report intends to provide policymakers, program leaders and staff, health administrators, scientists, and others with information that may help them understand the nature and extent of illegal drug use, associated behaviors, and problems that currently affect the Nation's racial/ethnic minority populations and the non-Hispanic White majority population.
Abstract
Data sources for this report include the U.S. Census and large-scale and small-scale epidemiological studies that have been collecting and analyzing data on the incidence, prevalence, morbidity, mortality, and other adverse health effects of illegal drug use in the United States, with a restriction to investigations with ample coverage of two or more racial/ethnic populations. After the introductory chapter, a chapter presents basic population statistics from the Census Bureau and projections for racial/ethnic minorities (American Indians/Alaska Natives, Asian/Pacific Islanders, African-Americans, and Hispanics) in the United States. This information is presented to profile the relative size of the major racial/ethnic populations in the country and to compare demographic factors such as family income. The next chapter provides an overview of drug-use patterns for the total U.S. population and for Whites, Blacks, American Indian/Alaska Natives, for each of six Asian subgroups, and for each of four Hispanic subgroups. Estimates are included for prevalence proportions based on recently active illegal drug use (the month before the survey assessment) as well as the cumulative occurrence of illegal drug use. Data are broken down by age groups and by drug (marijuana, cocaine, alcohol, heavy alcohol, and tobacco cigarettes). A chapter then focuses on minority youth, as it presents data on their illegal drug use, attitudes about drugs, and drug-related behaviors. This is followed by a chapter with data on risk behaviors, such as dropping out of school, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and engaging in high-risk sexual behaviors. One chapter focuses on the adverse health consequences of drug use, as it presents prevalence estimates on drug-related medical emergencies, drug-related deaths, and the general medical consequences of drug use. A chapter on drug-use and crime uses data on the drug-use history of booked arrestees and the percentage of arrestees who committed their offense under the influence of drugs. The concluding chapter summarizes the report and identifies programmatic and research needs regarding illegal drug use and associated problems. Limitations in the understanding of illegal drug use by minority populations are discussed, along with issues that should be considered when conducting research and analyzing the results pertinent to the illegal and extramedical use of drugs by racial/ethnic minority populations. 44 tables, 13 figures, 220 references, and appended NIDA (National Institute on Drug Abuse) strategic plan for reducing health disparities related to drug abuse