Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #114233

Michael Fendrich, PhD, Institute for Juvenile Research, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1747 West Roosevelt, Mail Code 747, Chicago, IL 60608, 312-413-1084, mfendrich@psych.uic.edu, Joseph Wislar, MPH, Institute for Health Research & Policy, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1747 West Roosevelt Avenue, Chicago, IL 60608, and Timothy Johnson, PhD, Survey Research Laboratory, University of Illinois at Chicago, 412 S. Peoria St., Chicago, IL 60607.

Studies conducted in Washington, D.C. and New York City following the terrorist attacks of 9/11/01 have shown high rates of stress related symptomatology and increases in alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana use. Studies conducted outside of the areas directly affected by the attacks also showed symptomatology and elevated substance use, but to a lesser degree. Key limitations of these studies are their lack of baseline population information about these effects and their reliance on self-reports of substance use. We report on a 2001 Chicago-based household survey on drug abuse that included drug testing as part of the data collection procedure. We evaluate responses of 412 subjects who participated in an ACASI survey on drug abuse and who also provided urine and saliva test specimens in several months preceding and following the attacks. One third of the sample (n=137) was interviewed within three months after the terrorist attacks. Bivariate results indicated statistically significant reductions (p <.05) in the rate of positive drug tests for cocaine and marijuana post September 11th and marginally significant reductions (p < .10) in the rate of self-reported use of these same substances. These results were confirmed for both marijuana drug tests and survey self-reports in logistic regression models controlling for demographic variables. Compared with those interviewed after the terrorist attacks, those interviewed in the prior months had over twice the adjusted odds of a positive drug test for marijuana (95% confidence interval: 1.2, 4.2). Psychosocial, geographic, and law enforcement explanations for these findings are discussed.

Learning Objectives:

• Those attending this session will learn about the utility of drug testing for understanding epidemiological trends. They will also learn more about the psychosocial impact of the events 9/11/01 on behavior in communities that were not close to the epicenter of the attacks.

Keywords: Substance Abuse, Drug Test

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.