Back to Annual Meeting

Back to Annual Meeting

APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Recorded presentation

Donald Vereen, MD, MPH, Office of the Director, National Institute on Drug Abuse, 6001 Executive Blvd, Bethesda, MD 20892, 301 443 6480, dvereen@nida.nih.gov

African Americans are much more likely than the white and other population groups to experience adverse consequences of drug use, most disturbingly in higher rates of HIV/AIDS (e.g., HIV/AIDS is a leading cause of death in African Americans) and criminal justice involvement (e.g., African Americans comprise over 40% of the prison population, most are a result of drug involvement). This increased experience of adverse consequences occurs despite lower rates of drug use among African Americans, compared to whites and Hispanics, before age 18. The suggestion that rates of drug use increase for African Americans in their 20's unfortunately coincides with the normal development of frontal lobe and other limbic structures in the brain. In addition, brain plasticity decreases substantial during this young adult developmental period, perhaps having implications for the development of and the recovery from addiction. Implications for research, training, and the development of services will be discussed.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) in this session will be able to

• Identify differential drug use rates among ethnic minorities, as well as HIV and incarceration rates;
• Identify areas of the brain that are undergoing maturation and also coincidentally, are affected by repeated drug use;
• Recognize patterns of behavior that put African American males at increased risk of coming in contact with the criminal justice system.

Keywords: African American, Drug Use

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No

Recorded presentation