Hispanic Teens and Substance Abuse

Drugs, smoking, alcohol. They are concerns parents have for all teens, but new research in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs reports that Hispanic middle school students may be more likely to smoke, drink or use marijuana that their peers. Could increased marketing by beer companies to the Hispanic community have an impact? Several beer companies have announced plans to increase marketing to the Hispanic community. The companies say its simply good business to pay attention to the fastest growing segment of the U.S. population. But some Hispanic leaders are worried about their children. There are now more beer ads in magazines, billboards and on Spanish-Language television. “I actually see an ad everyday,” says 18-year-old Angel. “Everyday in the morning when I drive to school.” The Miller Brewing Company has a $100-million dollar deal with Univision, a Spanish-language broadcaster. And Anheuser-Busch has increased spending in Latino media by two-thirds. Nearly half the Hispanic population in the U.S. is under the age of 21, which means it’s inevitable that underage kids will see the ads. “The more ads that they get to see, the higher the probability that they will try alcohol at an early age,” says Dr. Pierluigi Mancini, the executive director of CETPA, the Clinic for Education, Treatment and Prevention of Addiction in Atlanta. In fact, a study from the National Institutes of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism reports that for every alcohol advertisement a teenager sees, the likelihood of that teen drinking goes up by one-percent. And studies show Hispanic kids see more ads than their peers. “During the programs that are watched by youth,” says Dr. Mancini, “we see a very high number of alcohol commercials.” So what should parents do? “I think if you are watching TV and an alcohol ad comes up,” says Dr. Mancini, “that is a great opportunity to ask your child, ‘Did you see that ad?'” He says parents should help their kids understand that beer ads present fantasy – and not reality. “The people on the commercials,” says Angel, “they just sit there on the beach drinking, and they make life seem so perfect.” “All the guys are all sharp and handsome,” adds 18-year-old Jonathan, “and all the girls are all beautiful and all that stuff.”

What We Need To Know

Alcohol is the number one drug of choice among persons under the age of 21 in the United States, with tragic health, social and economic consequences. Despite the fact that drinking before age 21 is an illegal act, 20% of all alcohol consumed in the United States is attributed to people between ages 12 and 20. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2009 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System study of teens in grades 9-12:

• 72.5% of students had had at least one drink of alcohol on at least 1 day during their life and 41.8% of students had had at least one drink of alcohol on at least 1 day during the 30 days before the survey.
• 4.5% of students had drunk at least one drink of alcohol on school property on at least 1 day during the 30 days before the survey.
• 24.2% of students had had five or more drinks of alcohol in a row (i.e., within a couple of hours) on at least 1 day during the 30 days before the survey.

While, according to the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, youth exposure to alcohol advertising in magazines declined by 48 percent between 2001 and 2008. Although 325 alcohol brands advertised in magazines in 2008, just 16 brands accounted for half of the advertising placed in publications more likely to be seen per capita by youth than by adults. The messages about alcohol will always be prevalent in the media. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends parents try these strategies to limit the influence on children:

• Limit children’s exposure to commercials by limiting television viewing to no more than one or two hours a day.
• Discuss beer advertisements with your children. When you spot an ad, ask your child what he or she remembers from the ad. Ask your child what information he or she believes the sponsors left out.
• Make sure your children understand the health risks of drinking. Early research suggests alcohol can stop the teenage brain from growing. Duke University researchers scanned the brains of teens recovering from drinking problems. They found that the teens who drank a lot had smaller prefrontal cortexes than those who did not. The prefrontal cortex is the part of the brain responsible for judgment, planning, and critical thinking.
• Parents should lock up their own alcohol. The number one place where underage kids get alcohol is their own homes.

Resources

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention YRBSS Data
• Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth, Georgetown University

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