Substance use among females in New York State: catching up with the males.

Epidemiologic surveys of the New York State population over the past several years show substance use rates for females that are approaching the higher use rates for males. Surveys of the secondary school population show similar rates of use for girls and boys over time as well as a similar intensity of involvement. Surveys of adults show a dramatic increase of use for females, ages 18 to 34 years, in recent years, and a more modest increase for females, ages 35 years and older. An analysis of substance use by sex, age, marital status and employment identifies disparate rates of use among subgroups. For instance, among younger adults, single full-time employed women have considerably higher rates of use than housewives for illicit substances as well as psychoactive prescription drugs used medically as well as nonmedically.