Alcohol abuse prevention among Latino adolescents: A strategy for intervention

In spite of what is known about adolescent alcohol use and the need to prevent alcohol abuse, there is a scarcity of information on alcohol use and alcohol abuse among Latino youth. This paper describes the results of a unique prevention program funded by the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism in 1978 for Latino youth (12-17 years of age) in East Harlem. Existing literature on Latino youth and alcohol use is reviewed, followed by a description of the program, its setting, and its evaluative methodology. The methodological strategy entailed in-depth interviews with 80 program participants and interviews with staff. The results clearly demonstrate changes in alcohol knowledge, attitudes, and behavior among consistent participants, who constituted about one-third of the 752 participants. The changes were most attributable to the intervention strategies used, namely workshops and cultural materials, as well as outreach to parents and role modeling by staff. The most enlightening results were in terms of reasons for participation and attrition. The final section describes the need for the development of creative educational methods and materials, and difficulties in the use of traditional educational curriculum and evaluation materials with low-income Latino youth.