NCJ Number
200687
Journal
Alcohol Research & Health Volume: 25 Issue: 1 Dated: 2001 Pages: 72-79
Date Published
2001
Length
8 pages
Annotation
Data from the Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring (ADAM) program were used in this study to explore the combined use of alcohol and other drugs by arrestees as well as the relationships between substance use and the offenders' demographic characteristics and offenses; these findings were used to identify changes in the arrestees' alcohol and other drug use over time.
Abstract
Arrestees who participate in the ADAM program are surveyed about their substance use, and at the conclusion of the interview they are asked to provide a urine specimen, which is screened for the presence of 10 illicit drugs. In 1998 data were obtained from 20,715 adult male arrestees who were interviewed at 35 sites, as well as 6,699 adult female arrestees who were interviewed at 32 sites. The arrestees in the sample tended to be young (median age of 30). Most arrestees were male, African-American, had limited education, and were employed either full-time or part-time during the month prior to their arrests. The vast majority of both male and female 1998 arrestees reported that they tried alcohol at some time during their lives, and most had also consumed alcohol during the past year. Virtually no racial differences were found in recent alcohol consumption among White, Black, and Hispanic male arrestees; however, a smaller proportion of Black men reported being under the influence at the time of their offenses. Among the women, Hispanics were less likely than either Whites or Blacks to report recent alcohol use. Together, the results indicate that virtually no difference was found between Black men and Black women in the likelihood of being under the influence of alcohol at the time of the offense; whereas, Hispanic men were twice as likely as Hispanic women to have been under the influence of alcohol when they committed the offense. Both alcohol and illicit drug use were frequently associated with crime. The findings suggest that to achieve further reductions in crime, particularly in violent crime, strategies must be implemented that focus on reducing alcohol abuse as well as illicit drug use. Such strategies might include both expanded programs to address the substance abuse treatment needs of individual offenders in the correctional system and strategies that address the environmental and situational factors that contribute to alcohol-related offenses. 2 tables, 3 figures, and 16 references