Hispanic/Latino Communities

Learn more about how to better engage and mobilize your community to reduce its substance abuse problems using the “Knock and Talk” strategy, the third podcast in a new series developed by CADCA’s International Programs.

Learn more about how to better engage and mobilize your community to reduce its substance abuse problems in “Community Mobilization,” the second podcast in a new series developed by CADCA’s International Programs.

While accounts of smuggling across the U.S.-Mexican border and organized cartels and street gangs may be no more than news headlines to some people, substance abuse and substance abuse-related violence remain a harsh reality for many communities along the southern border regions of the United States. To help provide community coalitions and health service providers with the tools they need to address these problems, the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy will partner with CADCA and the Mexican government to provide two collaborative, cross-border trainings to this region.

The formal invitations were mailed. The vivid gowns altered. The tuxedos rented. The venue reserved. The food and cake ordered. The bouquets arranged. The play list coordinated. The hair and makeup fixed to perfection. The guest of honor nervously trying to remember her waltz steps. Si, this quinceañera is about to debut.

Hispanic-American adults use drugs and alcohol less frequently than the general population, according to data from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

Hood River, Ore. is known as a tourist attraction for its wind surfing and its lush natural beauty. However, it's also an economically challenged area, where more than 14 percent of people live below the poverty level and 17 percent of children under age 18 live in poverty. It's also a place with high marijuana, alcohol and tobacco use among youth. That is, until the Hood River County Prevention Network – also known as Hood River Prevents – mobilized the community to address their drug use and other associated problems.

A new report by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy shows that Hispanic teen use of marijuana, cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine currently outpaces White and African-American teen use. Research also indicates that while illicit drugs continue to be a problem for Hispanic youth, prescription drugs are emerging as a threat.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) marks World AIDS Day on December 1st with the launch of its new, national public service campaign to educate Hispanic teens on the link between non-injection drug use and HIV transmission. The campaign features an innovative television spot blending English and Spanish; a Webisode series that will launch soon on www.hiv.drugabuse.gov; outdoor, transit and print placements; community events and partnerships.

According to the 2007 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), while there have been substantial improvements over time in many health risk behaviors among all high school students, Hispanic students remain at greater risk for certain health related behaviors, such as drug use and driving in a car with an impaired driver. The YRBS was released this week by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, observed every September, CADCA´s Coalitions Online interviewed Dr. Judith Arroyo, Minority Health and Health Disparities Coordinator for the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), to help paint a clearer picture of the scope of alcohol abuse among the Hispanic community. Here, Dr. Arroyo discusses alcohol abuse rates among the Latino community and offers suggestions on how best to prevent alcohol use among Latino youth.

A new study by the University of Florida and University of Texas found that children are exposed to nearly seven times more alcohol advertising if they attend a school where at least one-fifth of the students are Hispanic. Researchers recommend strengthening ordinances that limit alcohol advertising around schools.

In Oceanside, Calif.'s Eastside neighborhood, residents had come to accept the drug dealing, prostitution and gang crime as part of a way of life. That is, until the North Coastal Prevention Coalition (NCPC) stepped in. Using a unique approach, the coalition empowered residents to take charge of their community and make Eastside a better place to live.

For young girls in the Hispanic community, turning 15 is a special occasion that symbolizes their passage into womanhood. To celebrate that transition, families throw a "quinceañera," or coming out party. Once an honored tradition focused on a girl's faith and values, today quinceañeras have become lavish parties where there is no shortage of alcohol. Mirza Martinez, from the Fontana Community Coalition in Fontana, Calif., decided to go against that norm by throwing her daughter an alcohol-free quinceañera.

New research published in the Journal of Immigrant Minority Health supports the theory that acculturation discrepancies exist and may impact Hispanic adolescents’ substance use behaviors. Acculturation refers to a process where individuals from a particular culture adopt the norms, values, attitudes and behaviors of individuals from another culture. Typically acculturation occurs when a person’s culture of origin gradually changes to become more similar to that of the host society or dominant culture, but the process can go both ways.

Research, published in the Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health, indicated that higher levels of perceived family cohesion may help decrease substance use among Hispanic adolescents. Acculturation discrepancies exist and may account for increases in Hispanic adolescents' risk of substance use. According to the study, Hispanic adolescents were more likely to report cigarette smoking, alcohol, and marijuana use when they perceived their own orientation toward American culture to be greater than that of their parents.