Summary

This fact sheet provides a national picture of substance use by young adults with disabilities. When asked about their experiences in the past 30 days, more than half reported not consuming alcohol, 7 in 10 reported not smoking, more than 8 in 10 reported not using marijuana, and almost all reported not using cocaine or other illegal drugs. Alcohol consumption was the most frequently reported type of substance use.

Young adults with disabilities were less likely than those in the general population to report drinking alcohol and using any illegal drugs.²³ In addition, among cigarette smokers, young adults with disabilities smoked fewer cigarettes per day than did those in the general population.

Reported substance use, including smoking, alcohol consumption, and use of marijuana and other illegal drugs, varied by disability category. Young adults with emotional disturbances were more likely than those in almost all other disability categories to report smoking cigarettes, drinking, and using marijuana or other illegal drugs. Young adults with learning disabilities were also more likely than those in many other disability categories to report smoking, drinking, and marijuana use.

Substance use also varied somewhat by demographic characteristics. Male young adults with disabilities were more than twice as likely as females to report smoking marijuana. White young adults with disabilities were more likely than African American or Hispanic peers to report daily cigarette smoking during the past 30 days. Reported alcohol use was higher among young adults with disabilities from households with higher income levels than among those from lower income households.

When these young adults with disabilities were in high school, more than half received substance abuse prevention education or services from their schools in a given school year.