Characteristics of cocaine users in a private inpatient treatment setting

Patient records were reviewed from an eighteen-month period of a private ho spital adult addictive disease unit. Of 667 consecutive admissions, sixty-f ive (49 males, 16 females) were diagnosed with cocaine abuse or dependence; 38 percent were from rural areas. Although mean age of males and females w as similar, males had a longer duration of use (8.2 years versus 5.8 years) , however, females used an average of 14 grams per week versus 9.5 grams pe r week for males. African-American patients were overrepresented among the cocaine using sample and also among the sample who chose smoking as their r oute of administration. A larger percentage of males had legal problems and admitted to "dealing," when compared to females. Those from rural areas we re more likely to be married and less apt to have legal problems.