THE VALIDITY OF ADULT ARRESTEE SELF-REPORTS OF CRACK COCAINE USE*

Despite the many problems associated with crack use, little validated empirical evidence about the prevalence of crack cocaine exists. Researchers that track crack cocaine use have relied on self-reports to differentiate crack and powder cocaine. Prior research suggests that the accuracy of self-reports for the use of a variety of illicit substances is relatively low. To examine the validity of self-reports of crack use, this article employs a newly developed technology to detect specifically the presence of markers of crack cocaine in urine specimens. With a sample of 2327 arrestees from six cities that participate in the Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring (ADAM) Program, both face-to-face interview and urinalysis data were examined. Using a positive urinalysis result as the validity standard, we assessed the extent to which arrestees underreport crack cocaine use as compared to the use of marijuana, opiates, and methamphetamine. Logistic regression models were also developed to predict the factors that rela...