Drinking patterns of inner-city black Americans and Puerto Ricans

Alcoholic patients--183 Black Americans (62 women) and 132 Puerto Ricans (18 women)--at an inner-city alcoholism treatment program were surveyed using the Drinking History Questionnaire. Significantly more Puerto Rican men than Black men reported drinking distilled spirits, daily drinking, drinking in the morning to relieve a hangover, shakes when sobering up, blackouts when drinking, convulsions after a bout, psychoperceptual withdrawal symptoms and alcohol-related marital difficulties. Puerto Rican women were significantly older at the first time of drunkenness than the other groups. These women tended to drink at home daily and they reported a surprisingly high mean alcohol consumption. Significantly more Black women reported drinking to make friends. The tendency for Blacks to drink with their spouse, and to encourage their spouse to drink, was a major finding. This finding may have clinical implications for treatment and suggests that in lower class Black alcoholics a careful history of the drinking patterns of the spouse or living companion should be taken to determine the proper treatment approach.