Women and Drug Abuse
Introduction

This is Archived Content. This content is available for historical purposes only. It may not reflect the current state of science or language from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). Find current research and publications at nida.nih.gov.

Today, more than 4 million women in this country use drugs. Women of all ages, races and cultures..... Women just like your best friend, your sister, your co-worker, or your daughter....Women just like you.

Drug abuse is a serious, continuing illness. There are no easy cures.

Drug abuse can affect any womanDrug abuse can affect any woman.

Women who try to quit sometimes fail at first. But help is available to overcome the illness of drug abuse.

Women who use drugs do not have to face the problem alone.

Facts About Women and Drug Abuse

  • 9 million women have used illegal drugs in the past year.
  • 3.7 million women have taken prescription drugs nonmedically during the past year.
  • More than 28,000 (70%) of the AIDS cases among women are drug-related.

Almost half of all women age 15-44 have used drugs at least once in their life. Of these women, nearly 2 million have used cocaine and more than 6 million have used marijuana within the past year. Most women drug abusers use more than one drug.

To understand drug use by pregnant women, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has been studying treatment for women to develop the most effective approaches. One project, "Perinatal 10," is looking at the effects of treatment, medical care, and support services for pregnant women.