Illicit drug use by persons with disabilities: insights from the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse.
OBJECTIVE
This study sought to evaluate the association of drug use with disability in a representative sample of the US household population.


METHODS
The use of illicit drugs and alcohol reported by respondents in the 1991 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse who identified themselves as "disabled, unable to work" was compared with respondents without disabilities.


RESULTS
Among younger adults (18-24 years), persons with disabilities were more likely than those without disabilities to report that they had used heroin (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 6.89; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.35, 35.1) or crack cocaine (OR = 6.38; 95% CI = 1.05, 38.6). Among older adults (35 years and older), persons with disabilities were more likely to report the use of sedatives (OR = 2.46; 95% CI = 1.21, 4.94) or tranquilizers (OR = 2.18: 95% CI = 1.08; 4.42) not medically prescribed.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that use of illicit drugs is a potentially serious problem among persons with disabilities and requires both research and clinical attention.
Gilson
S F
SF
School of Social Work, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond 23284-2027, USA.
Chilcoat
H D
HD
Stapleton
J M
JM
D000328:Adult; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016017:Odds Ratio; D015995:Prevalence; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology