NCJ Number
196823
Journal
Journal of Ethnicity in Substance Abuse Volume: 1 Issue: 3 Dated: 2002 Pages: 17-38
Date Published
2002
Length
22 pages
Annotation
This study examined the patterns and determinants of illegal drug use among first-generation and second-generation Asian-American youths in Dallas, Texas, an area that is experiencing rapid Asian population growth.
Abstract
The study recruited 63 Asian youths aged 18 to 27 in public places. Three who did not provide any information on drug use were dropped from the study. Due to the sensitivity of the drug-use problem and the lack of a list of Asian youth in the Dallas area, it was impossible to do a random survey; consequently, the study results should not be construed as reflecting the entire Asian population in Dallas; and the small sample size suggests that the findings should be viewed as tentative. Nevertheless, this research is useful because there is no existing research on Asian drug use in this area. Further, the theoretical formulation and rigorous analytical procedures should help in future research. The main dependent variable was current drug use. This variable was measured by a dichotomous variable with one for "drug use last month" and zero for "no drug use last month." For descriptive purposes, several variables related to drug use were included. Independent variables were type of neighborhood (inner-city, mixed urban/suburban, and suburban); the quality of the high school attended; family environment; gender; and a friend who had used drugs. The data analysis revealed a very high rate of cumulative drug use (63 percent) and a significant rate of current drug use (23 percent). Most of the drug users in the sample tended to be occasional users who tried drugs once or twice a year. They tended to use several types of drugs in combination rather than use one type of drug. Drugs were most often used in a club or rave. Friends were the primary source of drugs. Differential association (friends who used drugs) and gender were apparently the most important determinants of current drug use. Parental warning, grade point average, type of neighborhood, and high school quality influenced current drug use to varying degrees; however, family income and generation did not have much effect on current drug use. Gender was the only significant predictor of current drug use after all variables had been included in the logistic regression model. 4 tables and 31 references