Nicotine and alcohol abuse in African American women who smoke crack cocaine.

The purpose of this descriptive study was to characterize the nicotine and alcohol use of African American women who smoke crack. Particular attention was paid to treatment status and whether treatment influenced perceptions of alcohol addiction and nicotine consumption. Two hundred and eight African American women who smoke crack comprised the convenience sample. One hundred and fifty-two women were in drug treatment, and the rest were "on the streets" still using crack cocaine. In a 3-hr interview, women were asked about their drug and alcohol use, family, and social, health, and drug-related behaviors. All women were administered the CAGE and asked questions about their nicotine use. There were no statistical differences between treatment and nontreatment groups on the CAGE or on smoking. As expected, women in treatment were significantly more likely to report that their behaviors were indicative of an alcohol addiction, although they did not differ from the nontreatment group in potential problems identified by the CAGE.