Chapter 4. Demographic Variables and Substance Use African- Introduction American This section discusses the relationship of substance use to students, demo- graphic characteristics including sex, race/ethnicity, students who academic perfor- mance, family structure, socioeconomic status, made As and and length of residence in the school district. It should be noted that Bs, and when discussing preva- lence among the three major racial/ethnic students who groups in the state, in terms of actual numbers of users, there are far were longtime more White students who use substances than Hispanic and African residents of a American students. school district. These are notable findings from the 1994 survey: Male students were more likely to use substances than • females, with the exception of uppers. Much of the increase Hispanic students reported the highest rates of lifetime • in illicit drug use and current use of an illicit drug. between 1992 and White students had the highest rates of lifetime and • 1994 was current use for hallucinogens, uppers, downers, and attributable to more Ecstasy. use by males, Students who earned grades of Cs or lower reported about • African-American three times as much lifetime and current prevalence of students, students cocaine and crack than those who made grades of As and who made grades of Bs. As and Bs, and Students who lived with both of their parents were less • students who were likely to use substances than those who lived in other longtime residents of family structures. a school district. Students who had jobs were more likely to use tobacco, • alco- hol, and drugs. Students with college-educated parents were less likely to • use substances. Much of the increase in illicit drug use between 1992 and 1994 discussed previously was attributable to more use by males,
Chapter 4. Demographic Variables and Substance Use Introduction This section discusses the relationship of substance use to demo- graphic characteristics including sex, race/ethnicity, academic perfor- mance, family structure, socioeconomic status, and length of residence in the school district. It should be noted that when discussing preva- lence among the three major racial/ethnic groups in the state, in terms of actual numbers of users, there are far more White students who use substances than Hispanic and African American students. These are notable findings from the 1994 survey: • Male students were more likely to use substances than females, with the exception of uppers. • Hispanic students reported the highest rates of lifetime and current use of an illicit drug. • White students had the highest rates of lifetime and current use for hallucinogens, uppers, downers, and Ecstasy. • Students who earned grades of Cs or lower reported about three times as much lifetime and current prevalence of cocaine and crack than those who made grades of As and Bs. • Students who lived with both of their parents were less likely to use substances than those who lived in other family structures. • Students who had jobs were more likely to use tobacco, alco- hol, and drugs. • Students with college-educated parents were less likely to use substances. Much of the increase in illicit drug use between 1992 and 1994 discussed previously was attributable to more use by males, African- American students, students who made As and Bs, and students who were longtime residents of a school district. Much of the increase in illicit drug use between 1992 and 1994 was attributable to more use by males, African-American students, students who made grades of As and Bs, and students who were longtime residents of a school district.
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