The case study “Gender and racial/ethnic differences in patterns of adolescent alcohol use and associations with adolescent and adult illicit drug use” seeks to explore the effects and trends of alcohol use within certain groups. It is well known that alcohol is the most widely used substance in the United States. Alcohol use brings negative social and psychological effects to both adults and adolescents. However, certain groups of alcohol users report different effects. The data for this study was collected by using LCAs to separate the data by gender and by race as well. The study specifically asked questions that explored whether adolescents had problems with school, family, relationships, legal issues, or sex as a result of alcohol. It was found that white adolescents were overwhelming more frequent drinkers. Hispanic adolescents were not far behind. The study also discovered that frequent heavy drinkers with a high risk of problems reported more negative consequences and regrets as a result of drinking. Males were also more prevalent in this category than females. However, within that group of high risk frequent heavy drinkers, African Americans reported less social problems than both males …show more content…
If a male or female was identified as a frequent heavy drinker, the odds that they used marijuana rose substantially. As these adolescents grew in to young adults, high marijuana use was linked with cocaine use. As stated before, those identified as frequent heavy drinkers were also associated with a higher susceptibility to cocaine use. White males still reigned as the most likely users. However, in both Hispanic groups, high alcohol use was only connected to cocaine use. In African American males, high alcohol use was most likely associated with marijuana use instead. Among the females in this study, alcohol use and cocaine use did not show a high association in any of the racial
If a person was an outsider looking in, it may appear that substance abuse effects African-Americans more than those of other cultural backgrounds. When in reality the issue may be because of the racism, discrimination, and the prejudice placed on the African-American culture has placed them in a position where they are unable to overcome these factors, which
Genetic factors also play a key role to substances-related disorders. People that have family who suffer from alcoholism increases their chances of being the same along with the type of environment they are
Native Americans were less likely than Whites to get alcohol from home or from someone younger than age 21 but were more likely to get it from other social sources or through theft from a store. Living in a county with more Native Americans was inversely related to access to alcohol for both White and Native American youths, as well as reduced lifetime, 30-day, and heavy episodic drinking. Living in a county with more single-parent households was positively related to lifetime drinking, 30-day drinking, heavy episodic drinking, and increased access to alcohol through someone younger than age 21 or a stranger. Median income was negatively related to lifetime drinking and ease of access to alcohol and was positively related to accessing alcohol from home without permission, theft, or purchase with a fake
The aforementioned populations have a significant amount of diversity within their groups. It is imperative that clinicians who are providing alcoholism, alcohol abuse, alcohol addiction care pay attention to the specific national origin, immigration and migration histories, region and geographic distribution, generational and cohort influences. In addition, group and religious affiliations, discrimination and oppressive experiences, resources, lifecycle phases, and gender must be considered to allow the clinician and individual or group an enhanced treatment experience. Statistical data that was displayed allowed for a visual representation of the epidemiology of alcohol related complications. The NIAAA further discusses that drinking patterns often exhibit diversity within a subgroup of the same racial and ethnic group. The NIAAAs information was informative and something that is abundantly necessary to efficiently practice as a social worker or individual that will provide care to individuals of diverse
Alcoholism is a growing problem in the United States. It can, and oftentimes does, result in illnesses and deaths. “Alcohol is the world’s third largest risk factor for disease and contributes to 4 [percent] of the global burden of disease” (Marshall, 2014). In relation to alcoholism, specifically adolescent alcoholism is a growing concern in the United States. The age at which young people are starting to experiment with alcohol is younger than ever. Dr. Don Macdonald explains that this may most likely be due to the fact that it is legal for the majority of the population. Therefore, adolescents are able to access and get a hold of alcohol more easily than they can other drugs – such as marijuana, heroin, cocaine, etc.
Latinos reported more depressive symptoms than whites and blacks. It is interesting to note the relation of depressive symptoms to daily heavy drinking statistics discussed earlier. Those with higher depressive symptoms reported heavier alcohol consumption. This could explain why whites with more income spend more time at bars. Another interesting factor is reported alcohol abuse by profession.
In 2008, a National Institutes of Health Survey counted a total of 1.3 million children from the ages of twelve to seventeen that have experienced alcohol abuse just within the last year, and a total of 2.3 million young adults from the ages of twelve to twenty who have drunk five or more times within a single occasion. “At age twelve, 11 percent of boys and 9 percent of girls have commenced drinking, and 1 percent of them are classified as binge and heavy users. By age fourteen, the numbers are 31 and 33 percent use, respectively, and 6 percent of them are binge and heavy users. At age eighteen years, 73 percent have commenced drinking, 42 percent have used alcohol in the past month, and 39 percent are heavy users,” (Sherwood, 2012, p.1). However, the most common group in which abuses the use of alcohol is the college age. In 2007 alone, over 1800 college students were killed due to alcohol-related accidents, along
527). In other words, there is a lack of research and emphasis on the contributing factors of substance abuse among adolescents who identify as more than one race. Additionally, risk factors of adolescent substance abuse have been examined through studies that predominantly focused on white youth. Causing a knowledge gap in explanation of the ever-growing substance abuse prevalence rates of biracial adolescents. Goings’ study aimed to fill the gap by exploring correlates of biracial Black-White adolescent substance use in comparison to both white and black youth.
The researchers measured other factors as well that could have influenced the findings, including cigarette smoking, other illicit drug use, and participants' access to health insurance. Although there were no differences in the findings based on race or ethnicity, the study included only males; there were no findings or conclusions about women.
The NIDA further reported that young Latinos had a higher prevalence of drug use other than alcohol compared to their non-Latinos
Underage drinking has been present for a long time now and time has help discover that the impact of drinking at a such early age goes beyond a social and moral discussion; it can have several negative effects on the teenage brain causing possible irreversible brain damage and a much higher risk for alcohol - dependency later down the road into adulthood years. Teenage drinking is an important issue in the United States, which is needed of some attention since there is a great amount of minors attracted to this practice. According to a National Survey on Drug Use and Health conducted in 2013, “35.1 percent of 15-year-olds reported that they have had at least 1 drink in their lives.” Minors start and continue drinking from time to time without
Article Review: Socioeconomic Status and Substance Use Among Young Adults: A Comparison Across Constructs and Drug
Essay Every man, woman, and child has an identity, whether it's a static identity or a dynamic identity. We all have one. Some people figure themselves out at a young age others don't figure their identities till old age. It just depends on who you are and what you do in life.
Drinking alcohol is like taking a drug. It is a worldwide problem. One of the larger groups effected by alcohol is teenagers and young adults. According to the book Alcohol “Drinking to get drunk has become more common. Teenagers and young adults say they drink for the buzz.” As time progresses underage drinking becomes more relevant. Teens and young adults drink for various reasons but don’t think of the consequences or effects. Although alcohol abuse causes long term and short term effects, young people still abuse it.
Alcohol is the number one drug problem among America’s youth. More senior high school students use alcohol than any other psychoactive drug. Family doctors, pediatricians, schoolteachers, and parents know that alcohol is overwhelmingly the drug of choice among today’s youth, although trendier substances such as cocaine are often given more attention in the headlines (Carla Felsted, p. vii). Furthermore, it is widely acknowledged that drinking alcohol is a part of the youth culture in America; it may also be understood as a culturally conditioned and socially controlled behavior.