NCJ Number
166897
Date Published
1990
Length
40 pages
Annotation
Drug problems among Hispanic youth and programs for Hispanic communities are examined, based on a literature review and telephone interviews and site visits to the 16 Office for Substance Abuse Prevention (OSAP) projects that targeted Hispanic communities and began in 1987.
Abstract
Determining drug problems among Hispanic youth was hampered by the lack of a clear definition of Hispanic, methodological problems in the research, and other issues. However, the available information indicates that alcohol and other drug use among Hispanic youth is lower than for white youth. However, drug use among Hispanics increases with age as it does with youth in the general population. In addition, alcohol use greatly outweighs drug use. The most important risk factors appear to include family factors, especially parental drug use, and socioeconomic and environmental factors such as the impact of poverty and the availability of alcohol and other drugs. The 16 OSAP demonstration projects in Hispanic communities cover a wide range of settings, locations, age groups, risk factors, and approaches. Almost half the projects are developing some kind of specialized curriculum. The analysis suggests the need for longitudinal studies, improved research methodologies, projects designed to help Hispanic youth remain in school, and efforts to use Hispanic natural support systems in prevention approaches. Additional recommendations, figures, tables, appended instrument, and 78 references