Got Beer?: Alcohol Prevalence and Effects within the Latino Community

 

Introduction

    In Latino cultural and social celebrations, it is customary to have alcoholic beverages for the purpose of relaxation, to forget about problems, or to "just have fun." This fact of alcohol in cultural and social events is not only true for Latinos, but for American culture as well. However, the fact remains that alcohol is one of the leading causes of deaths. In many cases it is not the drinker who usually dies, but an innocent victim who came into the path of a drunk driver. Furthermore, studies indicate that 40 % of Latino men age 18-39 drink less frequently but in higher quantities compared to other races/ethnicities. Also, alcohol consumption has changed from being for social events to everyday use. This is a result from psychological distress of an individual. Alcohol use and abuse constitutes a crisis for the Latino community in that, although alcohol can lead to significant health problems, it can also affect family and social interactions. The effects of alcohol abuse can prove costly for the individual, family, and society as a whole.
 

Patterns in Latino Community

    On the average, Latinos start to use alcohol at a younger age (usually 18 years old) than any other race/ethnicity (Neff, 1985). Many factors determine alcohol consumption by Latinos. The first factor is acculturation to U.S. society. This acculturation is in reference to the normalcy of drinking at a club, bar, or at a party. Latinos have more of an opportunity to drink at such events or locations. In general, population studies show that drinking varies across social settings, and there is a relationship between the amount of alcohol consumed and setting (Caetano, 1986). This setting does reflect the amount of consumption between more and less acculturated Latinos. Less-acculturated Latinos are less likely to be at bars, clubs, and parties. They are more likely to drink at home alone.

    The second factor relating to alcohol consumption is psychological distress. In studies conducted by James Alan Neff correlating alcohol consumption with depression, Latinos were known to have more depressive symptoms than whites. Thus in turn, Latinos were more likely to consume alcohol. Alcohol use is more prevalent in individuals who are depressed in that it is used as self-medication. Latino drinkers are not as significantly depressed as Latino non-drinkers (Neff, 1985). Although this is seen in both acculturated and less-acculturated individuals, this dilemma is seen more in less-acculturated individuals due to social-economic restraints of not being well acculturated to society. In all, Latinos consume more alcohol when they have higher degrees of depression. Furthermore, acculturation plays an intricate role for Latinos in allowing more of an opportunity to drink alcohol.
 

Effects of Alcohol

Physiological effects

Social Effects

    The physiological effects such as liver cirrhosis, hypotension, and cardiovascular disease are considered health problems for Latinos as a result of diet.  The consumption of alcohol only increases the chances of becoming susceptible to these illnesses.  Coronary heart disease is the leading cause of death for Latinos.

    Alcohol contributes to 100,000 deaths annually which makes it the third cause of mortality in the United States.  It also is a factor in 45.1% of all fatal traffic accidents and one-fifth of all crashes involving injury.  There was a total of 2,452 youths ranging from the ages of 15-20 who died in alcohol-related crashes in 1992.

    Another impact of alcohol abuse can be felt within the confines of the person's family.  The family of an individual who drinks alcohol can be affected in terms of well-being and family cohesiveness.  Adolescents view parents as significant confidants and support when they have problems because parents play an important role in the development of adolescents.  Research indicates that parents who take in interest in nurturing and giving guidance to their children decrease the probability that they will select friends who use alcohol and other illicit drugs (Windle, 1996).  It also establishes a criterion for adolescents in distinguishing healthy from unhealthy chooses.

    Parents who drink can have a drastic effect on the parent-child relationship and in turn effect the development of their children.  It is estimated that about 40% percent of maltreatment (physical abuse, sexual abuse and neglect) are prevalent in families who have an alcoholic parent(s). While intoxicated, some parents may become more or less tolerant of their child's inability to perform household chores and can lead to child abuse.  In 13% percent of child abuse cases, the perpetrator was intoxicated at the time of the attack.

    In many cases, having an alcoholic parent(s) may increase the chance that the child (children) will follow the same roles in life.  For adolescents who are exposed to parental drinking, intention and perception of alcohol use is seen as a positive activity. Also, parents who use alcohol as self-medication tend to give the same ideology to the child that alcohol can solve problems.  This may contribute to more frequent and serious alcohol use within the framework of coping with problems during adolescence. Parent's role in guiding their children is an important process in that it leads to better decision making, choosing better health practices and better relations within the family.

Personal Comment

    In my personal experience, I can recall my family telling me of the way my father was when he came home from a bar in El Salvador. He would come home and hit my mother because he was so drunk that he did not want to hear her yell at him for him drinking and being out so late. In El Salvador, drinking is very prevalent amongst the males. It helps to relieve stress from work or having to live in the conditions of a third world country. I was too young to know what my father did to my mother and my brother and sisters. We left El Salvador when I was three. Yet in the United States, when frustration set in, I see my father drink until his pride does not hurt anymore from not being able to assimilate into society. My father has done a lot for my family and me. It is hard to see an adult man depressed, especially when you respect him and care for him a lot. However, unlike my father, I have decided not to drink and have learned to solve my problems in a different manner. It does not take much for an individual to see that drinking does not solve your problems, but it just adds on. My other brother and sisters have followed the same path and we learn to cope with problems as a family. Unlike other cases, I can say alcohol did not destroy my family but brought it together.

   

    The use of alcohol is prevalent in the Latino community. Alcohol use and abuse can result in many adverse effects to the individual, family, and society as a whole. Yet, we continue to ignore the facts of prolonged and over consumption of alcohol. Many young people drink without knowing why they do it or what effects it can have on their bodies. In knowing and understanding the effects of alcohol, we can make a better decision on whether it is right for us and that we do not want to pass on bad habits to our children. We must find other alternatives to solve our problems and not to escape into another realm with the help of alcohol. Let our minds stay clear and our bodies fresh from the reality of an alcoholic beverage.
 

Informational Web links

For more information, go to the immediate effects of alcohol on health page

Also, for information on other effects of alcohol, see Alcohol and Related problems

For more information regarding the effects of alcohol on driving, The Facts About Drunk and Drugged Driving has a lot of information.
 

References

This web page was developed by Rodrigo Perez to fulfill a requirement of the class CHI 21: Health Issues in the Chicano/Latino Community taught by Seline Szkupinski Quiroga in the Chicana & Chicano Studies Program at the University of California at Davis, Fall 1998.