title: Hispanic drug abuse in an evolving cultural context: an agenda for research.
abstract: Drug abuse in the U.S. Hispanic population appears to be in a dynamic state of acceleration, although there are differences in drug use patterns between U.S.-born and foreign-born Hispanics, and across Hispanic subgroups (i.e., Mexican, Cuban, Puerto Rican, and Central or South American). An understanding of the consequences of cultural adjustments for drug use is needed to effectively anticipate the scope and dimensions of illicit drug use in the largest, rapidly growing, minority group in the U.S. This paper provides an epidemiologic overview of current Hispanic drug use, summarizes research on the relationship between culture change and drug use, organized according to individual, social (i.e., family and peer group), and community level influences on drug use, and offers a systematic agenda for future research.
authors.affiliation: School of Social Welfare, University at Albany, State University of New York, 135 Western Avenue, Albany, NY 12222, USA. lwarner@uamail.albany.edu
authors.forename: Lynn A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Warner
authors.forename: Avelardo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Valdez
authors.forename: William A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Vega
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: de la Rosa
authors.forename: R Jay
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Turner
authors.forename: Glorisa
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Canino
mesh_terms: D000069:Acculturation; D000293:Adolescent; D017668:Age of Onset; D002648:Child; D003469:Culture; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012106:Research / Q000592:standards*; D012917:Social Adjustment; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000208:ethnology*