Substance Use Among Asian American Adults in 2016-2020: A Difference-in-Difference Analysis of a National Survey on Drug Use and Health Data.

Abstract

<b>Objectives.</b> To compare substance use among Asian American adults in 2020, when anti-Asian violence increased, with substance use among the same group during the previous 4 years and compare this with that of non-Hispanic Whites. <b>Methods.</b> Using data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 2016 to 2020, we investigated changes in substance use among Asian Americans compared with non-Hispanic Whites before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. We performed difference-in-difference analyses to estimate adjusted changes in past-month substance use in the 2 groups. <b>Results.</b> The incidence rate ratio (IRR) among Asian Americans' past-month alcohol use, cocaine use, and tranquilizer misuse in 2020 versus in 2016 to 2019 was 1.3 times, 3.0 times, and 17.2 times, respectively, the same IRR among Whites. <b>Conclusions.</b> The significant increase in misuse of several substances among Asian Americans relative to Whites in 2020 calls for careful assessment, identification, and treatment of this understudied population group. <b>Public Health Implications.</b> Besides increasing Asian substance users' access to socioculturally responsive treatment programs, policy and resources should be focused on multilevel violence prevention efforts such as antiracial discrimination public education programs. (<i>Am J Public Health.</i> 2023;113(6):671-679. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2023.307256).