Tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drug use: racial and ethnic differences among U.S. high school seniors, 1976-2000.
OBJECTIVE
This study examines differences in adolescents' use of tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drugs by racial and ethnic groups.


METHODS
The authors analyzed questionnaire data from large, nationally representative samples of U.S. high school seniors to examine differences in drug use prevalence and trends among racial and ethnic groups between 1976 and 2000.


RESULTS
On average, American Indian seniors showed the highest levels of tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drug use. Cuban American and white seniors also tended to have relatively high levels of substance use, followed by Mexican American and Puerto Rican seniors. Other Latin American, African American, and Asian American seniors reported the lowest levels of drug use. Most of these differences are longstanding, but some have widened and others narrowed during the past 25 years.


CONCLUSIONS
Significant differences exist in adolescent use of tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drugs by racial and ethnic groups, and these differences have changed over time. Future research should examine these differences and seek to identify the sources and consequences of the disparities.
Wallace
John M
JM
University of Michigan, Institute for Social Research, 426 Thompson Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48106-1248, USA. johnwall@umich.edu
Bachman
Jerald G
JG
O'Malley
Patrick M
PM
Johnston
Lloyd D
LD
Schulenberg
John E
JE
Cooper
Shauna M
SM
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000208:ethnology*; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000208:ethnology*; D001213:Asian / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000145:classification / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D013287:Illicit Drugs / Q000145:classification; D007198:Indians, North American / Q000523:psychology; D017058:Mexican Americans / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015995:Prevalence; D011647:Puerto Rico / Q000208:ethnology; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012574:Schools; D012907:Smoking / Q000208:ethnology*; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000145:classification / Q000208:ethnology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
D013287:Illicit Drugs