The chapter identifies general background features of the Puerto Rican culture to facilitate understanding for those who seek to relate in a meaningful way to Puerto Ricans about drug abuse. An emphasis on "personalismo," the expectation that close personal relationships will guide the interaction of people, emerges as the dominant quality of Puerto Rican culture. Consequently, the more personalismo a Puerto Rican addict or abuser finds in a program of prevention or correction, the more likely he or she will be attracted to it and stay in the program. Additionally, three major problem areas identified in the study of the mental health experiences of Spanish-speaking children in New York City must be addressed in any effort toward addiction prevention or treatment: language, intercultural misunderstanding, and differential response. 1 note and 1 table