Objectives - To assess the influence of gender on psychoactive substance use among adults in France, according to educational level, employment status, occupation, and socioeconomic status. Method - The 2005 Health Barometer is a representative national telephone survey of individuals aged 12–75 conducted using a two-stage sampling method (households, individuals) that includes mobile phones. This study focuses on the 24,674 individuals aged 18–64. The data were analyzed using logistic regressions adjusted for age and three indicators of social status. Results - Levels of use are higher among men. For both sexes, excessive tobacco use is associated with unemployment. Alcohol consumption and drunkenness are more common among unemployed men, but not among women, among whom alcohol consumption, drunkenness, and cannabis use are more frequent among managers than among manual workers, which is not the case for men. Similar results are observed for educational attainment, which is associated with higher alcohol consumption, more frequent drunkenness, and more widespread cannabis use among women, but lower levels among men. Consequently, for these forms of use, the gaps between men and women narrow as social status rises, regardless of the indicator used. Conclusion - Men generally use drugs more than women, but the extent of the difference varies depending on socioeconomic status: when they occupy more favorable positions, men tend to adopt more moderate usage behaviors, while women tend to “masculinize” them. [author’s summary]