Higher-Educated Individuals Less Likely To Be Persistent Cocaine Users

Persistent cocaine use among highly educated individuals dramatically decreased after 1990, whereas use among non-high school graduates remained constant.


Researchers used data from the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse to investigate the relationship between cocaine use and educational achievement among adults aged 19-50 between 1979 and 2002. Although non - high school graduates had a relatively constant proportion of persistent cocaine use over all survey years, the proportion of persistent use among college graduates dramatically decreased after 1990 and fell below that of non-high school graduates. The proportion of recent-onset cocaine use diminished steadily for all levels of education achievement.


"These results highlight the need for improved intervention programs that target adults with lower levels of educational achievement who persist in their cocaine use, not just prevention of first use," the researchers said.


The American Journal of Public Health is the monthly journal of the American Public Health Association (APHA), the oldest organization of public health professionals in the world. APHA is a leading publisher of books and periodicals promoting sound scientific standards, action programs and public policy to enhance health.

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