Illicit drug use among adolescents and young adults with impairments in the US: A cross-sectional analysis of the National Survey on Drug Use And Health.
Preventive medicine February 1, 2025 Justin A Haegele, Samantha M Ross-Cypcar, Jeanette M Garcia 4 citations
Adolescents and adults with impairments (mobility, cognitive, hearing, vision, self-care, or communication) in the US are more than twice as likely to use illicit drugs as those without impairments. Among emerging adults, hallucinogens were the most commonly used drug in the past year, with 12.8% of those with impairments reporting use compared to 7.1% of those without. People with impairments first tried an illicit drug at an average age of 16.2 years, significantly younger than the average of 18.1 years for peers without impairments. The findings suggest that disability status is associated with elevated and earlier illicit drug use.