DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE IN BOOMING AND DEPRESSED COMMUNITIES

• NCJ Number: 67019
• Author(s): R H MILKMAN; L G HUNT; W PEASE; U M PEREZ; L J CROWLEY; B BOYD
• Date Published: 1980
• Length: 41 pages
• Contract Number(s): 6-36376
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Commerce; US Dept of Health, Education, and Welfare
• Corporate Author: Lazar Management Group, Inc
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: SERVICES RESEARCH REPORT

Annotation

THE IMPACT OF SUDDEN SEVERE ECONOMIC DISLOCATIONS ON LOCAL ALCOHOL AND DRUG ABUSE PATTERNS WAS SURVEYED IN 14 WESTERN AND EASTERN COMMUNITIES, TO DETERMINE WHETHER AND TO WHAT EXTENT FEDERAL ASSISTANCE IS NEEDED.

Abstract

SEVEN BOOM COMMUNITIES (LOCATED IN NEW MEXICO AND COLORADO) AND SEVEN DEPRESSED COMMUNITIES (LOCATED IN NEW JERSEY, VIRGINIA, AND MAINE) WERE SELECTED FOR A COMPARATIVE STUDY IN ALCOHOL AND DRUG ABUSE TO DETERMINE WHETHER RELATIONSHIPS EXIST BETWEEN LEVELS OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND SUDDEN ECONOMIC CHANGE. ON DRUG ABUSE, THE SURVEY UTILIZED DATA COLLECTED ON DRUG-RELATED ARRESTS (CLASSIFIED BY DRUG OF ABUSE, WHENEVER POSSIBLE), DATA OBTAINED FROM SOURCES SUCH AS DRUG TREATMENT PROGRAMS AND HOSPITAL EMERGENCY ROOMS (THE LATTER FOR OVERDOSES). ON ALCOHOL ABUSE, DATA WERE OBTAINED FROM AGGREGATE PER-CAPITA-CONSUMPTION FIGURES (AS MEASURED BY AN ANALYSIS OF TAX REVENUES), AND FROM AN ANALYSIS OF ARRESTS FOR DRUNK DRIVING AND FOR BEING DRUNK IN PUBLIC (THE LATTER WHERE IT IS CONSIDERED AN OFFENSE). DESCRIPTIVE VARIABLES OF ECONOMIC CHANGE USED FOR THIS WERE POPULATION, TOTAL EMPLOYMENT, PER-CAPITA INCOME, AND, FOR DEPRESSED COMMUNITIES, THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE. THE ANALYTIC AND CASE STUDY EVIDENCE INDICATES THAT BOOM COMMUNITIES HAVE A MORE OBVIOUS PROBLEM OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE ASSOCIATED WITH ECONOMIC CHANGE INDICATORS THAN DO COMMUNITIES SUFFERING FROM SUDDEN ECONOMIC DECLINE. ALTHOUGH SOME DEPRESSED COMMUNITIES EXPERIENCED INCREASES IN SUBSTANCE ABUSE, PRIMARILY ALCOHOL, NO CONSISTENT PATTERNS OR TRENDS FOR THOSE AREAS COULD BE ESTABLISHED. BOOM COMMUNITIES, ON THE OTHER HAND, HAVE A SERIOUS SUBSTANCE ABUSE, ESPECIALLY FOR ALCOHOL, THE ABUSE OF WHICH INCREASED AT A FASTER RATE THAN POPULATION GROWTH. POLYDRUG USE APPEARED TO BE WIDESPREAD FOR ALL AGE GROUPS IN BOOM TOWNS, ALTHOUGH HARD DRUGS DID NOT APPEAR TO HAVE REACHED CRITICAL PROPORTIONS. COMPANIES LOCATED IN THE BOOM AREAS UNDER STUDY ARE DEVELOPING ALCOHOL TREATMENT PROGRAMS FOR WORKERS WHO DRINK. THE STUDY RECOMMENDED THAT FURTHER INVESTIGATION BE CONDUCTED INTO THE RELATIONSHIPS OF ECONOMIC CONDITIONS AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE TO DEMONSTRATE THE NEED FOR INCREASED EMPHASIS ON ECONOMIC CONDITIONS IN ALLOCATING FEDERAL TREATMENT FUNDS. FOOTNOTES AND TABULAR AND GRAPHIC DATA ARE PROVIDED. (LGR)