The book's four sections provide a general, topical, and historical context for drug problems in Hispanic communities, include five ethnographic accounts of drug use and dealing in widely varying U.S. cities, and address the need for effective and culturally sensitive treatment for Hispanic drug users and their families. Several common themes emerge which reflect elements of Hispanic culture and the socioeconomic position of Hispanic communities. These include the importance of the Hispanic family, the traditional sex roles that characterize Hispanic culture, the association of addiction and dealing with the poverty and low educational attainment of large youthful segments of the Puerto Rican and Mexican-American communities, and the use of drugs for self medication to alleviate stresses of intergenerational conflict, family breakdown, and problems of acculturation. 332 references