Men and Addiction

Men are more likely than women to use, abuse and be dependent on alcohol or drugs than females. This is backed by several studies, including one done by SAMHSA in 2004. By knowing that men typically experience higher rates of substance abuse, recovery and treatment programs can be armed with this knowledge and tailor their programs accordingly. The Right Step sees many men enter its facilities, and offers a sober living program for men only called The Next Step in Dallas/Fort Worth , Texas. We understand that men and women experience addiction differently and our qualified, caring staff will do everything they can to provide a healthful, nurturing recovery environment for all of our patients, regardless of gender. We treat all forms of substance abuse and addiction, so if you or a loved one has a problem with drugs or alcohol, contact us today.

Statistics on Men and Substance Abuse or Dependence

There are several statistics from SAMHSA that show how the rate of substance abuse differs between the genders. The 2003 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) found that among people over 12, 80 million (70%) of men used alcohol within the past year, vs. 74.5 million (61%) of women. And an estimated 19.8 million (17%) of men had used an illicit drug within the past year, vs. 15.2 million (12%) of women. However, this just concerns alcohol and drug use. Regarding a dependence on or abuse of a substance, the survey found:

• Men were twice as likely to be dependent on or abuse alcohol or an illicit drug in the past year as women (12% vs. 6%).
• For just alcohol, men were still twice as likely, with 8.5% reporting being dependent on or abusing it vs. about 4% of women.
• As people grow older, males report being more likely than females to abuse drugs or alcohol - among those aged 18-25, the numbers were about 26% for men and 16% for women, and the over 26 group saw men twice as likely with 17.4% of men vs. about 9% of women reporting a dependence.

There are also a few environmental/social factors that affect these numbers, like being married, having kids at home, and being employed. Rates of abuse of or dependence on alcohol or illegal drugs among males aged 18-49 were the following:

• 10% among married men, compared with 23% of divorced or separated males and 24% of those who had never been married.
• 11% of respondents who reported living with one or more children at home, compared to 21% for those without kids.
• 23% of those who were unemployed, vs. 15% of those employed full time.

Treating Addiction With The Right Step

At The Right Step, we'd like to help put an end to the rates of addiction for everyone, both men and women. We are the largest private chemical dependency treatment services provider in the Southwest and are commited to helping you or someone you love break their addiction to drugs and alcohol.