Blacks are less likely to drink alcohol than other adults - and have lower rates of binge drinking - but their rate of illicit-drug use is higher

A new report shows that 44.3% of African-American adults are current drinkers, compared to 55.2% overall for U.S. adults. Moreover, the binge-drinking rate among black Americans is 21.7%, compared to the national average of 24.5%. African-Americans ages 18-25 also had binge-drinking rates far below the norm - 25.3% compared to 41.6%. However, 9.5% of black American adults used illicit drugs, compared to the 7.9% national average. The rate of binge drinking among pregnant black women also was higher (8.1% compared to 3.6%). It is estimated that 4.4% of African-Americans were in need of addiction treatment, compared to the national average of 2.9%.