Author: James Anderson
Information on Hispanic Alcoholism & Rehab Rates
Health departments and healthcare providers can find methods to screen for excessive alcohol use on the CDC’s Alcohol and Public Health webpage. National Prevention Week is also recognized by the SAMHSA and raises awareness about substance use prevention and positive mental health. The CDC also reports that 1 in 6 U.S. adults binge drinks, with 25% doing so at least weekly. Research shows that young, U.S.-born Hispanic men who are not Protestant tend to have relaxed attitudes toward drinking. Those who feel this way also are more likely to drink, to drink heavily, and to possibly have alcohol-related problems. Within the Hispanic community, Puerto Ricans and Mexican Americans tend to have more relaxed attitudes about drinking than Cuban Americans.
Binge drinking is most common among younger adults aged 18–34 and is nearly twice as common among men than among women. While more Latinos have never had even one drink of alcohol than their white peers, more than 33% of these Latinos will have recurrent or persistent problems with alcohol compared, a higher rate than their white peers, according to a Salud America! Excessive consumption of alcohol rose 39% across all demographics in the same time frame, with Latina women being among the demographics with the largest increases in average consumption at 148%.
“Cultural competence can mean [language], but significant portions of the Latinx community in the United States call English their first language. It doesn’t necessarily mean linguistics, although linguistics are really important, but also the understanding of cultural and family values,” says Vakharia. Since social work is a predominantly white profession, Latinx people seeking treatment for substance use are more than likely to encounter a white social worker who may not understand their unique needs. Some levels of care for treating substance use disorder and addictions involve inpatient programs that can last for 14, 28, or even 90 days. For treatment to be successful, clinicians and program developers may benefit from developing programs in accordance with family-oriented cultural and religious values.
If you or a loved one is ready to overcome an alcohol addiction, reach out today. Treatment providers can connect you with programs that provide the tools to help you get and stay sober. Making the decision to get help for an addiction can be difficult, but the challenges brought on by the consequences of addiction can be greater.
Tailor substance use-related public health prevention messages
Acculturation refers to culture change and a transfer of values such as religious, social, and health values from one group to another. Is a national Latino-focused organization that creates culturally relevant and research-based stories and tools to inspire people to drive healthy changes to policies, systems, and environments for Latino children and families. The network is a project of the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at UT Health San Antonio.
Moreover, one study found that women who chose to complete a survey in English were twice as likely to drink alcohol than those who chose the Spanish version. Overall, Latino Americans are less likely to drink alcohol than their non-Hispanic white counterparts. Only 54.5% of Hispanic adults over the age of 18 had at least one drink in the past year, compared to 70.3% of non-Hispanic white adults. 67.7% have had at least one drink in their lifetime–compared to 84.2%–and 31.8% have thus far completely abstained from drinking. However, studies also show that Hispanic adults who do drink, tend to drink more heavily than other ethnicities.
Of past-year Latino American drinkers, 26% engaged in heavy drinking regularly (at least once a month). It’s a common immigrant story – those who are born in this country are at greater risk for a series of bad health-related outcomes, compared with immigrants who were born elsewhere and moved here. Latino Americans’ alcohol consumption rates have changed over time and are more similar to U.S. rates.
Binge Drinking and Other Bad Habits
The long-term outcome of such a new generation of alcohol use prevention and treatment programs will reduce the prevalence of problematic alcohol use behavior which is the most pressing substance abuse problem confronting Latino immigrants nationwide. Differences in drinking patterns have been found to vastly differ by national origin (Vaeth et al., 2012). Despite recognition of the cultural differences that exist between distinct Latino national groups, most previous research on alcohol use among Latino immigrants has been conducted exclusively with Mexican immigrant populations (Borges et al., 2011; Worby & Organista, 2013). Fewer studies have examined alcohol use patterns among a diverse sample of Cuban, South American, and Central American immigrants (Sanchez et al., 2014).
Since it can be stressful when a person or group is treated differently than other groups of people, individuals belonging to marginalized groups may respond to discrimination with potentially harmful coping mechanisms such as substance use. It’s important to emphasize the Latinx community comprises numerous diverse subgroups and is not a monolith. It’s also important to note that substance use varies across heritage groups and locations. Explore what health equity looks like in your area by Health Equity Report Card from Salud America! Unfortunately, Latinos who struggle with severe alcohol issues are less likely than their White peers to seek they treatment they need, according to the NIAAA.
- However, the influence of these cultural factors on alcohol use among Latino immigrants with a family history of alcohol use is largely unknown.
- That’s not even including methadone clinics, of which many people do not even have a methadone clinic in their county,” Vakharia says.
- Research from 2013 found that 71% to 87% of social workers reported working with people facing the condition.
- Since social work is a predominantly white profession, Latinx people seeking treatment for substance use are more than likely to encounter a white social worker who may not understand their unique needs.
- Explore what health equity looks like in your area by Health Equity Report Card from Salud America!
Living and working in the United States, raising families here, speaking English, and above all, getting an American education all contribute to adapting to American culture. The evidence is clear that as women become acculturated to American life, they tend to drink more alcohol. Learn up-to-date facts and statistics on alcohol consumption and its impact in the United States and globally. Explore topics related to alcohol misuse and treatment, underage drinking, the effects of alcohol on the human body, and more. The consequences of alcohol abuse include social problems and health complications.
Alcohol Abuse Statistics For The Hispanic Community
Moreover, they are less likely to join support groups (such as Alcoholics Anonymous), despite the availability of Spanish-language groups. Of all ethnic groups, white Hispanic men have the highest rates of alcohol-related medical conditions (like liver cirrhosis), while black Hispanic men (from the Caribbean, the Dominican Republic, or Cuba) have the lowest–even when compared with non-Hispanic white adults. Generally, Latino American men progress from liver impairment to liver disease at higher rates than others.
Puerto Ricans account for nearly 10% and the Salvadoran, Cuban, Dominican, Guatemalan, and Colombian communities each have populations over 1 million in the U.S. If you identify as Latinx and are in recovery and would like to be part of training healthcare professionals in providing competent care, consider checking out a training to become a peer recovery coach. If you or someone you love is facing an SUD, consider reaching out to a trusted healthcare professional for an evaluation and to explore your treatment options. Reducing food insecurity, securing adequate housing, and offering employment training may help improve treatment outcomes. “Familismo” is a term used in Latinx culture that underlines the importance of family, a concept that treatment interventions may benefit from adopting. “We know that lots of people live in rural and suburban communities across the country, where public transportation infrastructure is basically nonexistent.
Though each domain can have an influence of substance use, the retention of Hispanic cultural practices is considered protective against substance use including alcohol use (Schwartz et al., 2011). However, the influence of these cultural factors on alcohol use among Latino immigrants with a family history of alcohol use is largely unknown. These study results provide the framework for more in-depth exploration regarding the influences that a family history of alcohol use, alcohol outcome expectancies, and acculturation have on the alcohol use among Latino immigrants from Cuba, South and Central America. Expanding on this study primary focus can lead to the development of more cultural relevant effective evidence-based prevention and treatment programs targeting Latino immigrants with a presenting alcohol misuse or dependency diagnosis.