Asian Americans drink less alcohol and binge on it less frequently, not to mention consume fewer illegal drugs, than other Americans. But the generalities stop there. A new analysis of Asian American subgroups, using data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, has found that Korean Americans are the most likely to consume alcohol in a given month and that Indian Americans are the least likely.
Figure 1. Past Month Substance Use among Asians Aged 18 or Older: 2004-2005 versus 2007-2008 |
Past Month Alcohol and Illicit Drug Use
Figure 2. Past Month Substance Use among Asians Aged 18 or Older Compared with the National Average: 2004 to 2008 |
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Substance Use among Asian Subgroups
Figure 3. Past Month Substance Use among Asians Aged 18 or Older, by Asian Subgroup: 2004 to 2008 |
Substance Use by Nativity
Among Asian adults, those who were born in the United States had higher rates of past month alcohol use, binge alcohol use, and illicit drug use than those who were not born in the United States (Table 1).
Table 1. Past Month Substance Use among Asians Aged 18 or Older, by Nativity: Percentages, 2004 to 2008| Age Group | Alcohol Use | Binge Alcohol Use | Illicit Drug Use |
|---|
Born in the
United States | Not Born in the
United States | Born in the
United States | Not Born in the
United States | Born in the
United States | Not Born in the
United States |
|---|
| Total | 56.0%* | 35.9% | 22.0%* | 11.1% | 7.3%* | 2.5% |
| Aged 18 to 25 | 54.0%* | 44.6% | 31.4%* | 21.6% | 12.2%* | 7.0% |
| Aged 26 to 49 | 68.0%* | 38.3% | 23.3%* | 10.9% | 5.0%* | 1.8% |
| Aged 50 or Older | 42.1%* | 28.0% | 8.3% | 7.4% | ** | 2.0% |
* The difference between Asians born in the United States and not born in the United States is statistically significant at the .05 level.
** Estimate was suppressed because of low precision.
Source: 2004 to 2008 SAMHSA National Surveys on Drug Use and Health (NSDUHs). |
Substance Use among Young Adults (Aged 18 to 25)
Rates of past month alcohol use, binge alcohol use, and illicit drug use were considerably lower among young Asian adults than the national average for young adults (48.5 vs. 61.1 percent, 25.7 vs. 41.6 percent, and 9.1 vs. 19.7 percent, respectively) (Figure 4).
Figure 4. Past Month Substance Use among Young Asian Adults Aged 18 to 25 Compared with the National Average: 2004 to 2008 |
Substance Use among Women
Compared with the national averages for adult females, adult Asian females had lower rates of past month alcohol use, binge alcohol use, and illicit drug use (Table 2). This pattern held within most age groups.
Table 2. Past Month Substance Use among Asian Females Aged 18 or Older Compared with the National Average, by Age Group: Percentages, 2004 to 2008| Age Group | Alcohol Use | Binge Alcohol Use | Illicit Drug Use |
|---|
| Asians | National Average | Asians | National Average | Asians | National Average |
|---|
| Total | 29.6%* | 48.5% | 7.7%* | 15.9% | 2.9%* | 5.7% |
| Aged 18 to 25 | 43.6%* | 56.9% | 19.6%* | 33.1% | 6.9%* | 15.7% |
| Aged 26 to 49 | 32.0%* | 53.7% | 7.0%* | 18.9% | 1.4%* | 6.2% |
| Aged 50 or Older | 18.3%* | 40.1% | 3.1%* | 6.6% | 3.5% | 1.8% |
* The difference between Asians and the national average is statistically significant at the .05 level.
Source: 2004 to 2008 SAMHSA National Surveys on Drug Use and Health (NSDUHs). |
Substance Use among Men
Compared with the national averages for adult males, adult Asian males had lower rates of past month alcohol use, binge alcohol use, and illicit drug use (Table 3). This pattern held within most age groups, and most comparisons were statistically significant.
Table 3. Past Month Substance Use among Asian Males Aged 18 or Older Compared with the National Average, by Age Group: Percentages, 2004 to 2008| Age Group | Alcohol Use | Binge Alcohol Use | Illicit Drug Use |
|---|
| Asians | National Average | Asians | National Average | Asians | National Average |
|---|
| Total | 51.1%* | 62.3% | 19.2%* | 33.8% | 3.9%* | 10.2% |
| Aged 18 to 25 | 53.5%* | 65.3% | 31.8%* | 50.0% | 11.4%* | 23.8% |
| Aged 26 to 49 | 53.6%* | 67.4% | 18.6%* | 39.2% | 3.1%* | 11.2% |
| Aged 50 or Older | 45.0%* | 54.8% | 12.8%* | 20.5% | 1.0%* | 3.4% |
* The difference between Asians and the national average is statistically significant at the .05 level.
Source: 2004 to 2008 SAMHSA National Surveys on Drug Use and Health (NSDUHs). |
