April 13, 2007 |
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In 2005, Hispanic females accounted for 10 percent of the female substance abuse treatment admissions reported to TEDS (approximately 61,000 admissions). Of these, 41 percent were of Mexican origin, 24 percent were of Puerto Rican origin, 4 percent were of Cuban origin, and 31 percent were identified as "other Hispanic."
Alcohol and opiates were two of the three most frequently reported primary substances of abuse7 for both Hispanic and non-Hispanic female admissions in 2005 (Figure 1). However, Hispanic female admissions were less likely than non-Hispanic females to report primary alcohol abuse (23 vs. 32 percent) and more likely to report primary opiate abuse (21 vs. 19 percent). Hispanic female admissions were also more likely to report stimulants as their primary substance (21 percent) than their non-Hispanic counterparts (12 percent).
Substance | Hispanic Females | Non-Hispanic Females |
---|---|---|
Alcohol | 23% | 32% |
Opiates | 21% | 19% |
Stimulants | 21% | 12% |
Marijuana | 14% | 13% |
Cocaine | 14% | 18% |
Other | 7% | 6% |
Source: 2005 SAMHSA Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS). |
There were also distinct patterns in the primary substance of abuse reported within Hispanic female ethnic subgroups (Figure 2). The most frequently reported primary substance of abuse was opiates among female admissions of Puerto Rican and Cuban origin (43 and 29 percent, respectively), stimulants among those of Mexican origin (35 percent), and alcohol among those of "other Hispanic" origin (23 percent).
Ethnic Group | Alcohol | Cocaine | Marijuana | Opiates | Stimulants | Other |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Puerto Rican | 21% | 17% | 13% | 43% | 2% | 4% |
Mexican | 22% | 13% | 15% | 13% | 35% | 2% |
Cuban | 26% | 22% | 11% | 29% | 6% | 6% |
Other Hispanic | 23% | 12% | 14% | 16% | 19% | 16% |
Source: 2005 SAMHSA Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS). |
Over half of both Hispanic and non-Hispanic female admissions to substance abuse treatment in 2005 were aged 25 to 44 years (54 and 56 percent, respectively). Hispanic female admissions, however, were more likely than non-Hispanic female admissions to be younger than 18 years old (14 vs. 7 percent) and less likely to be 45 years or older (12 vs. 18 percent).
Within Hispanic subgroups, there were differences in age at admission. Female admissions of both Mexican and "other Hispanic" origin had the largest percentages of admissions in the younger age groups—younger than 18 and aged 18 to 24—and the smallest percentages in the older age groups—aged 25 to 44 and aged 45 or older (Figure 3). Conversely, female admissions of both Puerto Rican and Cuban origin had the smallest percentages of admissions in the younger age groups—younger than 18 and aged 18 to 24—and the largest percentages in the older age groups—aged 25 to 44 and aged 45 or older.
Ethnic Group | <18 | 18-24 | 25-44 | 45+ |
---|---|---|---|---|
Puerto Rican | 5% | 14% | 63% | 18% |
Mexican | 18% | 23% | 50% | 9% |
Cuban | 6% | 16% | 60% | 18% |
Other Hispanic | 16% | 20% | 52% | 12% |
Source: 2005 SAMHSA Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS). |
Although the average age at admission to substance abuse treatment for Hispanic females was younger than for non-Hispanic females overall (31 vs. 34 years), this pattern was not consistent across all primary substances of abuse. In particular, Hispanic female admissions for opiates were older than their non-Hispanic counterparts, with an average age at admission of 37 versus 34 years (Table 1).
Ethnicity | Alcohol | Opiates | Cocaine | Stimulants | Marijuana | Other |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Average Age at Admission | ||||||
Not Hispanic | 37 | 34 | 36 | 30 | 25 | 33 |
Hispanic | 34 | 37 | 33 | 27 | 22 | 29 |
Mexican | 31 | 37 | 31 | 27 | 21 | 27 |
Cuban | 39 | 33 | 37 | 29 | 23 | 34 |
Puerto Rican | 38 | 37 | 36 | 29 | 24 | 31 |
Other Hispanic | 33 | 35 | 33 | 27 | 22 | 28 |
Source: 2005 SAMHSA Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS). |
There were also differences among the ethnic subgroups of female Hispanic admissions in average age at admission by the primary substance of abuse. For most of the primary substances of abuse (except opiates and stimulants), female admissions of Mexican origin were younger than female admissions of Puerto Rican, Cuban, and "other Hispanic" origin (e.g., alcohol—31 vs. 38, 39, and 33 years, respectively; cocaine—31 vs. 36, 37, and 33 years, respectively; marijuana—21 vs. 24, 23, and 22 years, respectively).
The Drug and Alcohol Services Information System (DASIS) is an integrated data system maintained by the Office of Applied Studies, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). One component of DASIS is the Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS). TEDS is a 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. Information on treatment admissions is routinely collected by State administrative systems and then submitted to SAMHSA in a standard format. TEDS records represent admissions rather than individuals, as a person may be admitted to treatment more than once. State admission data are reported to TEDS by the Single State Agencies (SSAs) for substance abuse treatment. There are significant differences among State data collection systems. Sources of State variation include completeness of reporting, facilities reporting TEDS data, clients included, and treatment resources available. See the annual TEDS reports for details. Approximately 1.8 million records are included in TEDS each year. The DASIS Report is prepared by the Office of Applied Studies, SAMHSA; Synectics for Management Decisions, Inc., Arlington, Virginia; and by RTI International in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina (RTI International is a trade name of Research Triangle Institute). Information and data for this issue are based on data reported to TEDS through February 1, 2006. Access the latest TEDS reports at: http://www.oas.samhsa.gov/dasis.htm Access the latest TEDS public use files at: http://www.oas.samhsa.gov/SAMHDA.htm Other substance abuse reports are available at: http://www.oas.samhsa.gov |
The DASIS Report is published periodically by the Office of Applied Studies, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). All material appearing in this report is in the public domain and may be reproduced or copied without permission from SAMHSA. Additional copies of this report or other reports from the Office of Applied Studies are available on-line: http://www.oas.samhsa.gov. Citation of the source is appreciated. For questions about this report please e-mail: shortreports@samhsa.hhs.gov. |
This page was last updated on July 11, 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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