Cigarette use among women has decreased at the rate of about 1 percent each year since 1985. Use during the last 30 days by women was at 24.2 percent in 1990, down from a 1985 figure of 28.1 percent. Women who drink heavily or are alcoholic are more likely to become victims of the alcohol-related aggression of others, such as date rape. Drinking varies among women of different racial or ethnic backgrounds. Abstention rates are greater among Hispanic women who have immigrated to the United States than among younger, American-born Hispanic women.
Marital status influences drinking habits.
Single, divorced, or separated women are more likely to drink heavily and experence alcohol-related problems than women who are married or widowed. Unmarried women who are living with a significant other are most likely to develop drinking problems. Despite their relatively low consumption levels, women account for nearly one-half of cirrhosis deaths among American Indians. According to a 1990 household survey, 0.5 percent of women had used cocaine during the last 30 days. That is a large decrease from a similar 1985 study, which estimated that 2 percent of women had used cocaine during the past month.