Study Shows Disparity Between Drug Markets, Use March 11, 2002
News Summary
A Brandeis University study shows that disadvantaged neighborhoods may not have a higher rate of addiction problems than other areas, but do have more-visible drug markets, Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly reported Jan. 28.The study, which was based on a survey of 42,000 people in 2,100 neighborhoods, found that visible drug sales are 6.3 times higher in the "most disadvantaged neighborhoods" than in the "least disadvantaged" communities.
In addition, illegal drug use is 1.3 times more likely and dependency twice as high in the most disadvantaged neighborhoods.
Leonard Saxe, Ph.D., who led the study, said that the findings illustrate that much of the addiction-related harm in poor neighborhoods originates with drug users who drive in from better areas.
The findings from the survey have implications for anti-drug coalitions. As Saxe explained, community coalitions and other initiatives often target drug users only in poor and minority areas with visible drug markets. But based on the study's results, such efforts also should extend to middle-class communities.
"We may need a larger definition of 'community' that includes an entire metropolitan area," noted Saxe.
Stephanie McGencey, Ph.D., senior vice president of Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) said that the focus of community coalitions is already "on the entire community, not just the hot spots."
She emphasized that it takes time to get the social capital that has been eroded by the drug economy back into poor neighborhoods. "It's not a quick fix," McGencey said. "But we firmly believe that community coalitions can lead in that."
The study is published in the American Journal of Public Health.
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