Black and Asian teens report lowest drug use

Nov 15 2011, Written by Ashley Mooney in News, 0 Comments

A recent study by members of the Duke psychiatry department found that Asian and black teenagers—ages 12 to 17—report the lowest rates of drug use when compared to teens of other races.

In the past year, Native American teens reported the highest percentage of drug and alcohol use—47 percent—of the racial groups surveyed. Blacks and Asian and Pacific Islanders reported the lowest drug use—24 and 32 percent, respectively—Dr. Dan Blazer, vice chair of the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, wrote in an email Tuesday.

“The lower use by Blacks will be found surprising in part due to the negative stereotypes of Black drug use—often associated with crime,” Blazer said. “I am not certain

the findings about Asian teens will be that surprising for those who know Asian culture.”

Blacks and Asian and Pacific Islander teens also reported the lowest percentage of alcohol use—25 percent and 19 percent respectively, Li-Tzy Wu, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, wrote in an email Tuesday. The other racial groups surveyed reported percentages between 30 and 40 percent. Wu also contributed all statistics regarding multi-racial adolescents.

“Those who had used alcohol reported during the past year [reported] that they used on average 36 days,” Blazer said.

Native Americans, multi-race adolescents and whites had a higher rate of marijuana use than other groups—at 24 percent, 16 percent and 14 percent respectively, Wu said. Only six percent of Asian and Pacific Islander teens and 12 percent of blacks reported use.

Blazer noted that those who reported using marijuana used it, on average, 79 days during the past year.

Cocaine usage was much lower, he said. Native Americans again reported the highest use at approximately four percent, whites at two percent, multi-racial teens and Hispanics tying at 1.6 percent, Asian and Pacific Islanders at 0.6 percent and blacks with the lowest reported use at 0.2 percent.

Although researchers did not analyze social or economic factors that affect teenage use of drugs and alcohol, Blazer noted the importance of intervening during adolescence.

“The main issue for us is that use is high and our opportunity for preventing use over a lifetime probably is greatest if we can intervene early,” Blazer said. “Namely during the teen years before the pattern of use and abuse has persisted for many years.”