Do rates of substance use disorders vary by ethnicity and employment status?
Rates of substance abuse and dependence are highest among American Indians and Alaska Natives (21 percent), followed by Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders (11 percent). Whites, Hispanics and blacks have similar rates of addiction (9.4, 9.3 and 8.5 percent, respectively), while Asians (4.5 percent) report the lowest rates of addiction (see Figure 4). Although documented rates of heavy alcohol and illicit drug use are highest for the unemployed, substance use is a problem that disproportionately affects working Americans. Of the 52.6 million adult binge drinkers in 2005, 42.1 million (80 percent) were employed either full- or part-time. Among the 15.4 million heavy drinkers age 18 or older, 12.5 million (80.8 percent) were employed (see Figure 5).
