Risk and Respectability: Unpacking South Asian Youth Substance Use Through Culture and Identity in Ontario

South Asian youth represent one of the fastest-growing populations in Ontario; however, limited research has examined how they interpret and negotiate substance use within the province's cultural, religious, and postsecondary contexts. Existing literature often aggregates "Asian youth," obscuring important within-group differences and culturally specific meanings attached to substance use.

This study examined how South Asian university students in Ontario understand and navigate substance use in relation to cultural expectations, religious norms, peer environments, and acculturative stressors.

Drawing on semi-structured interviews with 11 South Asian university students and guided by Symbolic Interactionism and Acculturation Stress Theory, reflexive thematic analysis identified four interconnected processes: (1) gendered and religious expectations that structured moral boundaries; (2) motivations rooted in peer belonging, curiosity, and culturally mediated stress; (3) consequences interpreted through academic, familial, and immigration-related stakes; and (4) pathways to reduction or cessation linked to identity realignment, health practices, and fears of losing control. Substance use emerged as a socially and culturally negotiated practice rather than an individual behavior.

Findings highlight the culturally embedded nature of substance use among South Asian university students and challenge homogenized narratives of "Asian youth." The study underscores the need for culturally responsive prevention strategies and mental health supports that account for intersecting pressures of respectability, belonging, and future mobility within Ontario's postsecondary context.