1996
National Household Survey on Drug Abuse: Preliminary Results
70617 (47B) PRELIMINARY DATA - AS OF JUNE 1997
Table 23.Percentages Reporting Past Month Use of Alcohol, by Age
Group and Demographic Characteristics: 1995 and 1996
AGE GROUP (Years)
12-17
18-25
26-34
35 and Older
Total
Demographic
Characteristic
1995
1996
1995
1996
1995
1996
1995
1996
1995
1996
TOTAL
21.1a
18.8
61.3
60.0
63.0
61.6
52.6
51.7
52.2
51.0
RACE/
ETHNICITY
White
22.9
20.4
66.7
65.5
67.5
66.0
55.4
54.3
55.6
54.2
Black
15.5
14.7
47.8
49.6
55.0
55.7
40.2
42.0
40.8
41.9
Hispanic
18.7
19.9
49.3
49.8
53.5
50.6
47.8
44.0
45.2
43.1
Other
18.7b
5.4
*
43.5
*
42.9
*
*
36.9
35.6
SEX
Male
22.5a
19.2
68.2
66.5
70.3
70.0
62.4
61.6
60.1
58.9
Female
19.6
18.3
54.7
53.5
56.0
53.7
44.1
43.0
45.0
43.6
POPULATION
DENSITY1
Large Metro
20.6
18.5
62.4
62.4
66.8a
62.8
57.5
55.4
56.3
54.0
Small Metro
20.1
19.0
61.4
59.5
62.7
64.9
51.7
54.7
51.5
53.0
Nonmetro
23.0a
18.8
59.1
56.3
54.9
53.7
45.3
40.6
45.8
42.1
REGION
Northeast
21.2
17.5
67.9
63.5
64.1
62.4
53.4
56.9
54.0
55.0
North Central
24.1
19.6
65.4
67.9
68.1
66.5
61.2
54.7
58.6
54.4
South
19.6
19.3
59.2
58.3
59.5
58.9
45.1
46.5
46.7
47.1
West
19.8
17.8
55.8
52.3
62.1
60.1
55.3
52.0
52.6
49.8
ADULT
EDUCATION2
<High School
N/A
N/A
53.1
53.3
55.3
51.3
36.1
33.3
41.5
39.1
High School Grad
N/A
N/A
57.9
56.3
61.0
60.9
48.9
52.1
52.4
54.2
Some College
N/A
N/A
64.5
62.2
62.0
60.8
58.3
54.8
60.4
57.4
College Graduate
N/A
N/A
74.1
75.1
70.6
68.7
66.3
64.1
67.9
66.1
CURRENT
EMPLOYMENT2
Full-time
N/A
N/A
69.2
67.5
67.5
67.2
62.0
59.9
64.3
62.7
Part-time
N/A
N/A
56.4
57.9
55.9
56.8
57.2
52.2
56.8
54.7
Unemployed
N/A
N/A
59.6
60.9
62.7
58.7
64.8
58.3
62.8
59.1
Other3
N/A
N/A
50.2
45.5
48.5a
41.9
38.6
41.1
40.8
41.6
*Low precision; no estimate reported.
N/A: Not applicable.
1Population density is based on 1990 MSA classifications
and their 1990 Census of Population counts.
2Data on adult education and current employment not shown
for persons aged 12-17. Estimates for both adult education and current
employment are for persons aged > 18.
3Retired, disabled, homemaker, student, or "other."
aDifference between 1995 and 1996 is statistically significant
at the .05 level.
bDifference between 1995 and 1996 is statistically significant
at the .01 level.
Source: SAMHSA, Office of Applied Studies, National Household Survey
on Drug Abuse, 1995 and 1996.
