NATIONAL HOUSEHOLD SURVEY ON DRUG ABUSE: cocaine & race

1997 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse

Cocaine Use, by Age Group, Race/Ethnicity, and Gender (Table 4.5)

Table 4.5 provides additional information on the racial/ethnic distinctions by breaking down reported cocaine prevalence simultaneously by gender, race/ethnicity, and age. Overall and among the 35 or older age group, lifetime cocaine prevalence was higher among males than females across racial/ethnic groups. For the two younger adult age groups (i.e., 18 to 25 and 26 to 34 year olds), significant lifetime differences were observed between white males and females and between Hispanic males and females. In general, past year and past month use also were higher among males than females, although only a few of these differences reached statistical significance.

For lifetime and past year prevalence, white males reported some of the highest rates of cocaine use. The highest rates of past year use were found among white and Hispanic males aged 18 to 25 and, for current use, among Hispanic males aged 18 to 25. In general, past year and past month use was most common among black females in the two older age groups and among white females in the two younger age groups; however, not all differences were statistically significant.10

10 An important caveat to these general patterns involves research that suggests that blacks tend to significantly underreport cocaine use. Potential underreporting by black respondents has important implications for the racial/ethnic comparisons described here (Fendrich & Vaughn, 1994; Research Triangle Institute, 1993).

This page was last updated on June 16, 2008.

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