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The Effects of Gender on Drug Use
Both genders engage in drug use, that is clearly known, but there are proven differences when it comes to drug preference, dependency and patterns of use. As of 2008, males accounted for sixty percent of the drug using population, also comprising sixty-eight percent of patients at drug rehabilitation centers. By these stats, it appears that males seem more susceptible to drug use, however many other factors are involved, factors investigated by curious scientists.
Two groups were studied, youths, ages twelve to seventeen, and young adults, ages eighteen to twenty-five. Participants took part in personal interviews as well as surveys as information was gathered about their habits and treatment. Females of the youth age group were more likely to abuse alcohol and psycho-therapeutics, while males abused marijuana more often and more consistently. The young adult group held similar results, women preferred psycho-therapeutics, increasingly more than alcohol and males continued to lead in the use of marijuana but also lead in psycho-therapeutic use. Cocaine and other drug abuse were roughly the same for both age groups and both genders.
Returning to the beginning statement, males compose the majority population of drug users and drug patients, despite the similar abuse rate of drugs in both genders. Why? Scientists believe its due to the males' higher tolerance of drugs, thus their abusive behaviors are more obvious to friends or family members. Likewise, males are more likely to be sentenced to a rehabilitation center after conflict with the law, while females are less likely to have such conflicts, thus less likely to go to rehab. Although males reported more substance use, females reported more substance dependence. This collaborates previous research that women are more susceptible to addiction, the amount of time for them to become dependent is shorter than it is for males.
Overall, numerous components affect the preference, dependence and drug use of both genders. Some factors are biological while others are social, all combining to form the present patterns of substance abuse.
Cotto, J. H., Davis, E., Dowling, G. J., Elcano, J. C., Staton, A. B., & Weiss, S. R. B. (2010). Gender effects on drug use, abuse, and dependence: A special analysis of results from the national survey on drug use and health. Gender Medicine, 7(5), 402-413. doi:10.1016/j.genm.2010.09.004
Hyperlink: Article
Two groups were studied, youths, ages twelve to seventeen, and young adults, ages eighteen to twenty-five. Participants took part in personal interviews as well as surveys as information was gathered about their habits and treatment. Females of the youth age group were more likely to abuse alcohol and psycho-therapeutics, while males abused marijuana more often and more consistently. The young adult group held similar results, women preferred psycho-therapeutics, increasingly more than alcohol and males continued to lead in the use of marijuana but also lead in psycho-therapeutic use. Cocaine and other drug abuse were roughly the same for both age groups and both genders.
Returning to the beginning statement, males compose the majority population of drug users and drug patients, despite the similar abuse rate of drugs in both genders. Why? Scientists believe its due to the males' higher tolerance of drugs, thus their abusive behaviors are more obvious to friends or family members. Likewise, males are more likely to be sentenced to a rehabilitation center after conflict with the law, while females are less likely to have such conflicts, thus less likely to go to rehab. Although males reported more substance use, females reported more substance dependence. This collaborates previous research that women are more susceptible to addiction, the amount of time for them to become dependent is shorter than it is for males.
Overall, numerous components affect the preference, dependence and drug use of both genders. Some factors are biological while others are social, all combining to form the present patterns of substance abuse.
Cotto, J. H., Davis, E., Dowling, G. J., Elcano, J. C., Staton, A. B., & Weiss, S. R. B. (2010). Gender effects on drug use, abuse, and dependence: A special analysis of results from the national survey on drug use and health. Gender Medicine, 7(5), 402-413. doi:10.1016/j.genm.2010.09.004
Hyperlink: Article
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