A survey of students at 16 California middle schools shows Latino youngsters are more likely to smoke, drink or use marijuana than their peers in other ethnic or racial groups, but that may not be the case in Utah, experts say.
"We've really found that race and ethnicity is not predictive," said Brent Kelsey, the assistant director of the Utah Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health.
The California study, conducted by Regina A. Shih and her colleagues at Rand Corp., surveyed 5,500 seventh- and eighth-grade students about their drug use and factors influencing drug use.
Overall, 22 percent of the students said they had ever used alcohol, 10 percent said they had smoked at some point, and 7 percent admitted to smoking marijuana.
Latino youths were more likely to have used these substances compared with other groups.
Among Latino students, 26 percent had tried alcohol, 12 percent had smoked cigarettes, and 9 percent used marijuana.
The researchers said Latino youths have a harder time saying "no" to their peers.
Studies done by the Utah Department of Human Services find that the risk and protective factors in any child's life contribute more to the chance of a youngster being exposed to drugs, at least in Utah.
Jesse Garcia, who works at Weber Human Services, said he believes a child is more susceptible to substance abuse if the child is exposed to it by a parent or grandparent.
Elizabeth Sollis, a public information officer for the Utah Department of Health and Human Services, said researchers do see a possibility for substance abuse among Latino children, as it is for any child in an at-risk situation.
However, there is no concrete data that shows if Latino children are more likely to use tobacco, alcohol or drugs or that peer pressure is a factor.
David Neville, with the Utah Department of Health Tobacco Prevention and Control, could only speak about tobacco usage.
He said he is not too surprised about the results of the California study, because youth with a high level of social concern are more likely to smoke.
"It's very difficult when you don't fit in a culture," Neville said, "and Utah is a very homogeneous culture."
For adults, Neville said, the overall average of Latino smokers is higher than the state average, but it is lower than the national average.
To track substance abuse among young people, the Utah Department of Human Services uses the Student Health and Risk Prevention Statewide Survey. Students in grades 6, 8, 10 and 12 in 38 school districts participate in the survey.
Kelsey said the survey helps officials address risk and protective factors that predict adolescent problem behaviors.
The report does not break down usage numbers by race or ethnicity.
The survey does measure how many students of different race and ethnicities participate, but unlike California, Utah has to work with a survey that uses a smaller, less diverse sample size.
However, Kelsey said they will look into breaking down the numbers on an ethnic level as well.
Alyson Ward, a health education specialist with the Tobacco Prevention and Control Program, said officials are always working to gather better information on substance abuse by youth.
"It's something that we are trying to get better at collecting," Ward said.
One problem, she said, is that it is difficult to collect data on the use of illegal products.
Another problem is that officials do not have a large enough sample size of minority youth to measure usage accurately. "It's not giving us a very clear picture," Ward said.
The California studies recommend more anti-substance use programs for kids, focusing on ethnic or cultural factors. Programs geared to the middle school age group and unique cultural experiences may be more successful.
Moreover, Shih said in a news release, "it is important for parents to be aware that many youth initiate substance use during middle school years, and parents can help their teen make healthier choices by monitoring their activities and talking with them about these issues."
Information from the Los Angeles Times is included in this article.
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