Big US teen drug survey challenges ethnic stereotypes

This report examined the drug and alcohol use of 72,561, 12 to 17 year olds over three years in the US. Apart from the order of substance preference the study makes interesting observations on ethnic group differences. Teen abusers reported average use of marijuana at 79 days in the last year, stimulants nearly 47 days, opioids about 39 days, and alcohol at nearly 36 days. Native American teens, followed by whites and Hispanics, all had higher alcohol use than African Americans or Asian teens. These last two groups also reported lower rates of drug use. The detailed picture is too complex to summarise here but makes interesting reading. For example, although heroin was little used it was the most likely to result in addiction or abuse. The full report is published in Archives of General Psychiatry.

Link:

• White and Hispanic Teens More Likely to Abuse Drugs than African Americans. Duke University N.C.