NCJ Number
202818
Journal
Addiction Volume: 98 Issue: 10 Dated: October 2003 Pages: 1419-1426
Editor(s)
Griffth Edwards
Date Published
October 2003
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This paper examines the prevalence of illicit drug use among young Australian women based on data collected in 2000, their patterns of drug use, and related risk factors.
Abstract
This paper presents findings from a study which examined the prevalence and patterns of drug use and age of initiation among young Australian women, factors associated with exclusive use of cannabis and with use of multiple drugs, compared with never using illicit drugs, and factors associated with current drug use among exclusive cannabis users and among multiple drug users. The study was based on data collected in 2000 as part of the second survey of the youngest cohort in the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health (ALSWH) which began in 1996 with the recruitment of more than 42,000 women aged 18-23. In 2000, the women were surveyed again when they were aged 22-27 years. Participation in the second survey was 68 percent or 9,598 of the women who completed the baseline survey. Prevalence estimates for ever using drugs and current drug use for women were consistent with recent findings in the 2001 Australian National Drug Household Survey (AIHW), as well as consistent with other Australian studies. The data suggest that there are two main patterns of drug use: exclusive cannabis use and multiple drug use. Distinguishing characteristics include: living with people who are non-family members, never being married, having experienced physical abuse, and being a smoker or a binge drinker. Multiple drug use factors included: sexual experience, pregnancy, and physical, emotional and sexual abuse. The large representative study sample was credited with for the strength of this study. References