Smoking and Other Drug Characteristics of Aboriginal and Non-Aboriginal Prisoners in Australia

Table 3

Drug and alcohol characteristics by Aboriginality.

Drug and alcohol use	Smoking cessation RCT			2009 NSW inmate health survey
	Aboriginal men; % (𝑁=64)	Non-aboriginal men; % (𝑁=361)	Total men; % (𝑁=425)	Aboriginal men; % (𝑁=259)	Non-aboriginal men; % (𝑁=538)	Total men; % (𝑁=797)
Ever use any drugs	96.9	95.0	95.3	88.3	84.2	85.5
Regularly* use any drugs in year before prison	92.2^†	79.0	80.9	50.8^†	38.0	42.1
Ever use any drugs in prison	78.1^†	63.2	65.4	48.0^†	39.3	42.1
Ever inject any drugs	60.9	56.0	56.7	46.1^†	37.2	40.1
Mean age when first injected (+SD)	18.9 (7.7)	17.9 (4.6)	18.0 (5.2)	18.5 (4.2)	18.5 (4.2)	18.5 (4.2)
Last injection in prison	32.4	33.7	33.5	22.0	22.2	22.2
AUDIT score 8+ prior to prison; (risky drinker)	68.8^†	48.5	51.5	74.2^†	57.0	62.6
AUDIT score 20+ prior to prison; (dependent drinker)	31.3^†	18.6	20.5	44.1^†	29.9	34.5
Drank 10+ drinks on typical day prior to prison	39.1^†	24.7	26.8	57.8^†	41.2	46.6
Drank 6+ drinks daily/almost daily prior to prison	26.6	19.9	20.9	39.8^†	27.1	31.2
Cannabis
Ever use	93.8	92.5	92.7	87.9^†	81.6	83.6
Regularly use in year before prison	79.7^†	57.1	60.5	34.4^†	22.6	26.4
Ever use in prison	75.0^†	57.1	59.8	35.9	31.2	32.7
Heroin
Ever use	57.8	56.0	56.2	43.4	36.3	38.6
Regularly use in year before prison	40.6	37.1	37.7	13.7^†	6.0	8.5
Ever inject	46.9	41.8	42.6	34.0^†	26.5	28.9
Ever use in prison	32.8	34.9	34.6	17.2	15.2	15.9
Other opiates
Ever use	37.5	36.8	36.9	20.7	18.2	19.0
Regularly use in year before prison	18.8	15.5	16.0	7.0^†	3.0	4.3
Ever inject	29.7	24.1	24.9	15.6	12.6	13.6
Ever use in prison	15.6	19.4	18.8	5.9	5.6	5.7
Amphetamines
Ever use	76.6	77.0	76.9	60.2	56.2	57.5
Regularly use in year before prison	46.9	49.0	48.7	17.2	13.0	14.3
Ever inject	53.1	44.6	45.9	37.5^†	26.1	29.8
Ever use in prison	26.6	28.8	28.5	10.2	9.8	9.9
Cocaine
Ever use	56.3	58.7	58.4	38.7^†	47.9	44.9
Regularly use in year before prison	39.1	35.7	36.2	5.1	5.5	5.3
Ever inject	35.9	29.9	30.8	21.1	15.8	17.5
Ever use in prison	20.3	18.6	18.8	5.1	6.4	6.0
Tranquilisers
Ever use	32.8	40.4	39.3	22.7	24.6	24.0
Regularly use in year before prison	15.6	17.7	17.4	5.1	5.5	5.3
Ever inject	6.3	7.8	7.5	3.1	3.6	3.4
Ever use in prison	18.8	18.0	18.1	6.3	8.1	7.5

†Statistically significant 𝑃<0.05 comparing aboriginal and non-aboriginal male inmates. *Daily/almost daily use drugs prior to prison.