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September 26, 2003 |
Women in Treatment for Smoked Cocaine: 2000 |
In Brief |
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In the mid-1980s, an easily smokeable cocaine compound known as "crack" was introduced. This form of smoked cocaine is a potent substance of abuse characterized by ready availability, a non-invasive route of administration, and quickly effective absorption.1 Data from the Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS) indicate that in 2000, more than a decade after the introduction of crack cocaine, smoked cocaine was the primary substance of abuse for 14 percent of all adult women admitted to substance abuse treatment.2 Smoking was the route of administration for 77 percent of all adult women entering treatment for primary use of cocaine. TEDS is an annual compilation of data on the demographic characteristics and substance abuse problems of those admitted for substance abuse treatment. The information comes primarily from facilities that receive some public funding. TEDS records represent admissions rather than individuals, as a person may be admitted to treatment more than once. Trends in Smoked Cocaine Admissions The number of adult women (aged 18 or older) admitted to substance abuse treatment for primary use of smoked cocaine peaked in 1994 (Figure 1). Between 1994 and 2000, both the total number of such admissions and the number of first-time admissions declined.
Demographics In 2000, the average adult woman entering treatment for primary use of smoked cocaine was 35 years old. The average length of smoked cocaine use was 12 years prior to admission. Adult women entering treatment for smoked cocaine abuse were disproportionately Black (58 percent, compared with 25 percent of all women entering treatment). About one-third (32 percent) of adult women entering treatment for smoked cocaine abuse were White, and 5 percent were Hispanic. The proportion of women 35 years or older entering treatment for primary use of smoked cocaine more than doubled over time, from 20 percent in 1992 to 52 percent in 2000 (Figure 2).
Duration of Use and Prior Treatments
The proportion of adult female admissions engaged in long-term smoked
cocaine abuse has increased over time (Figure 3). In 1992, 50 percent of
adult female smoked cocaine admissions had been abusing smoked cocaine for
more than 5 years at the time they entered treatment. By 2000, however, that
proportion had increased to 75 percent. Similarly, in 1992, 20 percent of
adult female smoked cocaine admissions had been abusing smoked cocaine for
more than 10 years, while by 2000, this figure had increased to 51 percent.
Secondary Substances The majority (81 percent) of adult women entering treatment for primary smoked cocaine in 2000 reported abuse of other substances as well. Almost half reported abuse of alcohol in addition to smoked cocaine, and 29 percent reported marijuana abuse. Abuse of smoked cocaine, alcohol, and marijuana was reported by one in 5 adult women admitted to treatment for primary smoked cocaine. Some 24 percent reported problems with other secondary substances or substance combinations. Initiation TEDS data permit calculation of the year of initiation (i.e., the year smoked cocaine was first used) for women entering treatment for smoked cocaine. "Crack" cocaine was introduced in the mid-1980s; among adult women who entered treatment for smoked cocaine in 1992, the numbers beginning smoked cocaine use after 1985 rose rapidly (Figure 4). Data for women admitted to treatment for smoked cocaine in 2000 indicate that, despite the decline since 1994 in the total number of women admitted to treatment for smoked cocaine, new users continued to be initiated through the 1990s.
End Notes 1"Crack" is the street name given to cocaine that has been processed to form a non-volatile form of cocaine that can be smoked. Smoking allows extremely high doses of cocaine to reach the brain very quickly and brings an intense and immediate high. See National Institute on Drug Abuse, InfoFacts - Crack and Cocaine. Retrieved August 28, 2003, from http://www.nida.nih.gov/Infofax/cocaine.html 2TEDS does not distinguish among users of different types of smoked cocaine. This short report is an update to Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (2001, July 13). The DASIS Report. Women in Treatment for Smoked Cocaine. Rockville, MD: Author.
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This page was last updated on December 30, 2008. |
SAMHSA, an agency in the Department of Health and Human Services, is the Federal Government's lead agency for improving the quality and availability of substance abuse prevention, addiction treatment, and mental health services in the United States.
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