Alcohol and other drug use patterns among Mexican-American, Mexican, and Caucasian adolescents: New directions for assessment and research

• Published in: Journal of clinical child psychology Vol. 23; no. 1; pp. 39 - 46
• Main Authors: Boles, Sharon, Casas, J. Manuel, Furlong, Michael, Gonzalez, Guadalupe, Morrison, Gale
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc 01.03.1994
• Subjects: Mexican American people; Substance abuse; Young people
• ISSN: 0047-228X; 1532-7639
• DOI: 10.1207/s15374424jccp2301_6

Examined substance abuse rates among subgroups of Mexican-American students by comparing alcohol and drug use rates of Mexican-American adolescents born in the United States to those of Mexican-American students born in Mexico and to Caucasian students attending the same schools. A total of 3,404 ninth- and 11th-grade students were surveyed using the California Substance Use Sunrey (Skager, Austin, & Firth, 1991; Skager, Firth, & Maddahian, 1989). It was found that Mexican females abstain the most from drug and alcohol use. Mexican males also reported lower drug and alcohol use than their Mexican-American and Caucasian counterparts, who had similar rates of alcohol we. In terms of prevention and intervention, Caucasian ninth graders reported the highest percentages receiving a substance abuse prevention program for at least part of a semester. Mexican-American students, however, were more likely to report not having received any prevention programming in school. Implications for assessment and prevention are discussed.