Substance Abuse among Latino Youth. Prevention Research Update, Number 3.

This publication is one of a series summarizing recent research on adolescent drug abuse and its prevention. The report provides an overview of research and reviews its implications for dealing with substance abuse among Latino youth, placing new information in the context of past findings. Research has shown that drug use patterns in several Latino subgroups are significantly different from those found in the U.S. general population, and that there are high levels of use of many drugs within segments of this population. Although there has been no parallel expansion of information specifically on Latino youth, the existing evidence clearly indicates that they are a population at serious risk of developing problems with several substances, and that prevention programs have not been adequately addressing the unique needs and circumstances of this population. The report is divided into an Overview and Abstracts. The Overview is comprised of the following sections: (1) Introduction; (2) Research Problems; (3) Use Prevalence and Patterns; (4) Correlates of Use, including environmental factors, family background, interpersonal factors, gender, cultural values, acculturation, and group variation; (5) Prevention; and (6) Conclusion. The Abstracts provide citations and annotations for 14 journal articles and research reports. A 140-item reference list and a list of author addresses are appended. (AF)