THE INNER-CITY AND DRUG-USE - INITIAL FINDINGS FROM AN EPIDEMIOLOGIC-STUDY

Although scientific and policy statements regarding drugs often sugges t that there are grave problems of drug use within America's inner cit ies, the evidence that supports these statements is often based on ane cdotal or incomplete data. This study of African-American adults from the Woodlawn study followed longitudinally partially fills that gap, a t least for learning more about those who spend some or all of their c hildhood within an inner city neighborhood. We found few differences b etween the lifetime prevalence of drug use and a national representati ve sample of adults of the same age range. Furthermore, a national hou sehold survey of African-Americans of similar age living in six centra l cities also reported low lifetime rates of illicit drug use. Neverth eless, those from the Woodlawn cohort had higher rates of use of illic it drugs in the past year than the national sample, especially those s till living in areas with high rates of poverty. Additionally, reports of heavy drug trafficking were much greater in the inner city areas t han in the suburbs. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.