Crack Cocaine Use (Tables 4.7 and 4.8)

An estimated 4.2 million Americans aged 12 or older had used crack in their lifetime, and an estimated 1.4 million had used crack in the past year (Table 2.1). As shown in Table 4.8, past year use of crack was least common among those aged 35 or older (0.4%). Although in the total sample and the 26 to 34 age group, males reported significantly higher rates of lifetime crack use than females, there were no gender differences in past year use. Blacks (overall and aged 26 or older) were more likely to report lifetime and past year crack use than were either whites or Hispanics, but among young adults aged 18 to 25, whites had higher usage levels than either blacks or Hispanics. Additionally, among youths aged 12 to 17, whites and Hispanics reported similar rates of crack use that were higher than that of blacks. Among past year cocaine users, the percentage who used crack was larger among blacks than among whites or Hispanics (58% vs. 29% or 20%, respectively, based on calculations from data in OAS, 1998b, Tables 4B to 4D and 5B to 5D).

There were no significant lifetime or past year differences in crack use across population density groups, and regional differences were sparse. Overall, those 12 to 25 years of age living in the West were more likely to report lifetime use than those in the South. In general, less education was associated with a greater likelihood of crack use. Past year crack use also was associated with current employment status for the total adult sample. Crack use was more likely among unemployed persons than among those in all other categories.

This page was last updated on December 30, 2008.