Alcohol And Drug Use More Prevalent Among Mexican Migrants And Their Family Members Than Other Mexicans

Main Category: Alcohol / Addiction / Illegal Drugs
Article Date: 24 Aug 2007 - 1:00 PDT

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The prevalence of alcohol, marijuana and cocaine use and risk of alcohol abuse is significantly higher among Mexican migrants and family members of Mexican migrants than among other Mexicans.

Researchers utilized the World Mental Health version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview to conduct 5,826 interviews. Participants were aged 18 to 65 and lived in Mexico in cities with a population of at least 2,500 people. After controlling for age, gender, education, marital status and region, researchers found that the prevalence of alcohol, marijuana and cocaine use at least once in a lifetime was significantly higher in migrants and family members of migrants than among other Mexicans. Among those who reported using substances at least once in their lives, both migrants and family members of migrants had significantly higher risk for alcohol abuse and family members of migrants had significantly higher risk of drug abuse than did other Mexicans.

"These findings suggest that patterns of substance use disorders in Mexico are linked to broader social changes associated with transnational migrations," the study's authors said. "In addition to the direct exposure of individuals who migrate to substance use opportunities in the United States, the transfer of social norms of substance use and the economic means for consuming drugs also appear to be involved."

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