Talk:Illegal drug

It's not true that most drug users are ethnic minorities. You don't seem to have read the source that you actually cited. See [1], page 29. On page 28, the report notes that these data challenge the unsupported belief that minorities are disproportionately likely to use.--Murray 16:03, 12 March 2007 (EDT)

That's not what the article says. It says a disproportionate number of drug users are ethnic minorities. For example, if 20% of whites use drugs and 30% of blacks use drugs, then more whites use drugs than blacks, but a disproportionate number of blacks use drugs. That (with different numbers) is similar to the situation. --NVConservative 16:06, 12 March 2007 (EDT)

Not really. The new report you cited, the 2005 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, says that 47% of Caucasians have ever used illegal drugs, compared with 44% of African-Americans, 36% of Hispanics, and 20-37% of Asian-Americans, depending on the specific Asian subgroup. The only ethnic minority groups that are higher than Caucasians are Native Americans and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander. --Murray 16:16, 12 March 2007 (EDT)

Actually make that 47% of everybody, 49% of Caucasians.--Murray 16:20, 12 March 2007 (EDT)

Murray, I think that is a fair way of putting it in. Thanks.--Dave3172 16:31, 12 March 2007 (EDT)

As I read this chart, White illicit drug use is above average, whereas the two largest minority groups are below. "Disproportionate" is hardly the term to use about minorities. RobS 16:49, 12 March 2007 (EDT)