NCJ Number
165663
Date Published
1994
Length
73 pages
Annotation
This report provides data on drug abuse by women of childbearing age and by parents and examines the number of children potentially at risk due to parental drug abuse; the study is based primarily on data from the 1991 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse but also includes 1991 data from the Drug Abuse Warning Network.
Abstract
The data indicated that parents with children in the household used illicit drugs less often than men and women between 15 and 44 years of age without children. Past-month illicit drug use was reported by 5.7 percent of women between 15 and 44 years of age with children in the home, compared to 11.2 percent of women in the same age group who had no children. Rates for men showed similar patterns. Approximately 6 million children under 18 years of age were estimated to have used illicit drugs in the past month. Marijuana was the most commonly used drug by parents; past-month marijuana use was reported by 2.6 million parents, while weekly marijuana use was reported by 1.4 million parents. The use of cocaine in the past 12 months was reported by 1.8 million parents. Contrary to expectations, few differences were observed in illicit drug use rates among parents in large metropolitan areas, small metropolitan areas, and nonmetropolitan areas. The prevalence of illicit drug use among parents had demographic patterns similar to drug use in the general population. Use rates differed according to income status, employment, education, race, and marital status. The consumption of five or more drinks at one time on at least three occasions in the past 30 days was reported by 5.2 million parents, 4 percent of mothers and 13 percent of fathers. Appendixes contain statistical testing results and preliminary analysis findings of 1991 and 1992 data from the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse. 10 references and 35 tables