Substance abuse becoming normalized among Latino youth ---  

New research shows that Hispanic teens are using drugs at alarmingly higher levels when compared to teens from other ethnic groups. It confirms that substance abuse has become a normalized behavior among Latino youth.
The Partnership at Drugfree.org released the research from the latest Partnership Attitude Tracking Study (PATS) survey. According to the new PATS data, Hispanic teens are more likely to engage in substance abuse when compared to teens from other ethnic groups:
• More than half of Hispanic teens (54 percent) reported having used an illicit drug, versus 45 percent for African-American teens and 43 percent for Caucasian teens.
• Almost half of Hispanic teens (47 percent) used marijuana, compared to 39 percent for African-American teens and 36 percent for Caucasian teens.
• One in eight (13 percent) Hispanic teens used Ecstasy, compared to 6 percent for Caucasian teens and 8 percent for African-American teens.
• One in eight (13 percent) Hispanic teens reported cocaine use, compared to 8 percent for African-American teens and 3 percent for Caucasian teens.
• Hispanic teens reported they consumed alcohol (62 percent) at a similar rate to Caucasian teens (59 percent) and significantly higher than African-American teens (50 percent).
The PATS data show that Hispanic teens are more likely than Caucasian and African-American teens to see drugs as part of their environment: to have friends who use drugs and to feel they have easy access to Ecstasy, crack/cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine:
• Almost two-thirds (62 percent) of Hispanic teens have been offered drugs at least once in their lifetime, compared to 53 percent for Caucasian teens and 46 percent for African-American teens.
• Approximately one-quarter (24 percent) of Hispanic teens report seeing frequent drug use in their communities, compared to 15 percent for Caucasian teens and 24 percent for African-American teens.
Increase in Hispanic teens who have misused/abused prescription drugs
Hispanic teens are now almost twice as likely as they were two years ago to have misused or abused a prescription (Rx) medicine at least once in their lifetime (30 percent in 2012 compared to 17 percent in 2010). This reflects a noteworthy 76 percent increase over two years. In 2012:
• More than one-quarter of Hispanic teens (26 percent) reported having abused or misused a prescription drug in the past year.
• One in seven Hispanic teens (16 percent) reported they engaged in the risky behavior of mixing alcohol with abusing prescription drugs (without a prescription).
Hispanic parents face challenges
Jerry Otero, a bilingual parent support specialist on The Partnership at Drugfree.org's Parents Toll-Free Helpline, knows the issues that concern Hispanic parents. "From the calls we get to the helpline, we know that Hispanic parents want to know more about teen drug and alcohol use and how these issues affect their children. We hear it firsthand from parents and concerned family members themselves – they want facts, they need guidance and they want to talk to someone so that they can be better equipped to understand and respond to their children's needs," said Otero.
Compared to Caucasian parents, Hispanic parents also acknowledge having more difficulty in protecting their teens from substance abuse.
"This new study shows a clear need for us, as Hispanic parents, to educate ourselves about the dangers posed by drug and alcohol abuse and to set clear rules for our kids," said Doctora Isabel, a radio psychologist  on Univision Radio. "Parents are the biggest influence over the decisions our kids make and we need to talk frequently with them about the risks of drug and alcohol abuse. They will listen!"
Bilingual web resources help Hispanic families
The Partnership at Drugfree.org offers "HablaConTusHijos," a free, bilingual (Spanish/English) online resource that provides effective, easy-to-use tools equipping Hispanic parents and grandparents to take action in preventing teen substance abuse in their families.
For more information in Spanish visit www.HablaConTusHijos.org or www.drugfree.org.  There is also a bilingual help line to call: 1-855-DRUGFREE.