Hispanic teenagers are more likely than their white or African-American peers to use illegal drugs, says a report by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.
The study examined data gathered by academic and nonprofit organizations that reflected drug use among 8th, 10th, and 12th graders from 2001 to 2006. According to the study, 10 percent of Hispanic youths in the grades covered were reported to have used drugs at least once within a month of the survey, compared with 8.6 percent of African-Americans and 7.5 percent of whites. The report cites Hispanic teenagers’ desire to adapt to a new culture as one possible reason for their higher drug use.
“Hispanic Teens and Drugs” is published by the Office of National Drug Control Policy.
