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Use of Selected Drugs Among Hispanics: Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans, Cuban Americans

NCJ Number
125735
Date Published
1987
Length
81 pages
Annotation
This study focuses on the cross cultural comparisons among the three Hispanic populations studied for the use of marijuana, cocaine, inhalants, and sedatives.
Abstract
Data were collected on 8,021 individuals from Hispanic households between the ages of 12 and 74 years. In general, Mexican-Americans and Puerto Ricans were equally more likely than were Cuban-Americans to have ever used any of the four selected drugs or to have been current users of them. Over 40 percent each of Mexican-Americans and Puerto Ricans had ever used marijuana compared with 20 percent of Cuban-Americans. Inhalants and sedatives were not widely used by persons from any of the three Hispanic populations. The general pattern of similarity among Mexican-Americans and Puerto Ricans was disrupted by the prevalence for cocaine use. While the largest percentage of current cocaine users were Puerto Ricans, Cuban-Americans were more likely to be current users than were Mexican-Americans. Hispanics who were high school graduates or who had attended college were usually more likely than were those with less education to have ever used marijuana, cocaine, or sedatives. 17 tables, 8 notes, appendix.