A one-month survey results indicate that smoking, alcohol and marijuana
use increase among residents of Manhattan during the five to eight weeks after
the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center which took place on September
11,2001. Almost one-third of the nearly 1 000 persons interviewed reported
an increased use of alcohol, marijuana, or cigarettes following the September 11
attacks. About one-fourth of the respondents said they were drinking more
alcohol in the weeks after September 11; about one tenth reported an in- crease
in smoking, and 3.2% said they had increased their use of marijuana.
62)The investigators found survey Participants by randomly, dialing New
York City phone numbers and screened Potential respondents for Manhattan
residents living in areas close to the World Trade Center. Interviews were
conducted with 988 individuals between October 16 and November 15,2001.
Participants were asked about their cigarette smoking, alcohol drinking, and
marijuana use habits before and after September 11. During the week prior to
September 11,2001,22.6% of the participants reported smoking cigarettas,59.1%
drinking alcohol, and 4.4% using marijuana. After September 11,23.4% reported
smoking cigarettes, 64.4% drinking alcohol, and 5.7% smoking marijuana. Among
those who smoked, almost 10% reported smoking at least an extra pack of
cigarettes a week and among those who drank alcohol, more than 20% reported
imbibing at least one extra drink a day. The researchers found
that people who reported an increase in substance abuse were more likely to
suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and from depression.
63)People who reported an increase in cigarette smoking or marijuana use were
also more likely to have both PTSD and depression, while those people who
reported an increase in alcohol use were more likely to have depression
only. 64)Persons who were living closer to the World Trade Center were
more likely to increase their cigarette smoking, but other factors such as being
displaced from one’s home, losing possessions during the attacks, or being
involved in the rescue efforts were not consistently associated with increased
substance use. Symptoms of panic attack were associated with an increase in
the use of all substances. Increase in substance abuse did not
differ significantly between men and women or among racial or ethnic groups.
65)Demographic factors such as age, marital status, and income seemed to play
a more critical role in determining if the events of September 11 led to an
increase in substance use.