Drug use behaviors among Asian drug users in San Francisco

Due to a pervasive bias toward Asian Americans, such as tendency to view Asian Americans as model minorities, drug use behaviors among them are often ignored by health professionals, researchers, and community members, including Asian community members. This study identified patterns of drug use behaviors in relation to cultural factors among Asian drug users in San Francisco, CA. A sample of 92 Asian drug users (35 Chinese, 31 Filipino, 26 Vietnamese) who were not currently enrolled in drug treatment programs were recruited through targeted sampling methods and interviewed using a questionnaire with open-ended questions. The study evaluated responses of the participants and used content analyses. This study clearly revealed that the patterns of drug use among Asian drug users are unique to their ethnicity, gender, immigrant status, and age groups. Also, Asian drug users share cultural constructs related to drug use such as fear of addiction and injecting drugs, and stigma attached to drug users in the community. Therefore, drug abuse prevention programs should address both common factors among Asian drug users, as well as unique factors in specific target groups (e.g., ethnic groups, Asian immigrants, Asian women, refugees, and adolescents).