SMOKED COCAINE SELF-ADMINISTRATION IN FEMALES

Although approximately 32% of all smoked cocaine (''crack'') users are women, most stud ies investigating cocaine use have recruited only ma le subjects. Therefore, this study examined the smoked cocaine self-ad ministration patterns of female crack at,users. A work requirement, wh ere up to five tokens were earned by subjects, was followed by the adm inistration of a sample delivery of one of three dose sizes [5.0 mg (p lacebo), 0.2 mg/kg, 0.4 mg/kg] of cocaine. The three dose sizes of coc aine were administered in counterbalanced order across subjects, with each subject receiving one dose size within a session and all dose siz es across the three experimental sessions. A self-administration phase followed the sample delivery, during which a token could be exchanged every 30 min for monetary reimbursement or a delivery of cocaine in t he same dose size as the sample delivery. Tile results show that femal es' patterns of behavioral and subjective responding to smoked cocaine exhibit cli:ar dose-related effects, thus affirming this self-adminis tration model as safe and appropriate for use with women.