NCJ Number
199205
Journal
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs Volume: 34 Issue: 4 Dated: October - December 2002 Pages: 393-399
Date Published
October 2002
Length
7 pages
Annotation
This study used Chi-square statistics and logistic regression to identify significant associations between recent benzodiazepine use (as measured by urinalysis), demographic characteristics, and alcohol and other drug (AOD) use among a sample of 1,572 adult Houston arrestees surveyed through the Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring (ADAM) Program in 1999.
Abstract
Following the collection of demographic information on the subjects from official records, arrestees were interviewed to determine whether they had ever used a number of specific drugs. For those drugs the arrestees reported having ever tried, they were asked to indicate their age at first use, whether they had used the drug within the past 12 months, the number of times used within the past 30 days, and whether they had used the drug within the past 3 days. Participants who admitted to drug use were also asked whether they considered themselves drug-dependent, as well as whether they were under the influence or in need of drugs at the time of arrest. Several questions focused on drug treatment. In addition to the interview data, a urine sample was obtained to measure recent drug use and to validate the self-report data. In focusing on arrestees' use of benzodiazepine, the study found that benzodiazepine-positive arrestees were more likely to be African-American, less likely to have a high school diploma, and more likely to be arrested for a drug- or alcohol-related offense. Moreover, analyses indicated that recent barbiturate, heroin, PCP, and marijuana use, as measured by urinalysis, were the strongest predictors of recent benzodiazepine use. Given the capacity of benzodiazepines to effect multiple detrimental purposes -- from a self-inflicted disinhibitory agent to criminal facilitator ("date rape" drug) -- law enforcement personnel, policymakers, and researchers should monitor its proliferation through the ADAM surveillance system. 4 tables and 32 references