Minority Drug Abuse Prevention [microform] : An Overview of the State of the Art. (Draft) / John L. Garcia

This paper describes (1) the role of the Center for Multicultural Awareness (CMA) in providing technical assistance and identifying and designing culturally relevant materials for the prevention of drug abuse among minority groups, and (2) the current status of State and local drug abuse programs in relation to minority groups. The development of a Federally funded program for addressing drug related problems among blacks, Native Americans, Asian/Pacific Americans, Puerto Ricans, and Mexican Americans under the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) is briefly traced. Resources, philosophy, and objectives underlying current prevention and treatment programs are discussed. The need for developing strategies for prevention through the resolution of family, economic and educational problems is stressed. Also called for are increased professional training, technical assistance, and funding of minority group drug abuse programs. The scarcity of available information on minority drug abuse (especially for Asian/Pacific Islanders, Native Americans, and Alaska Natives) is also pointed out. A number of prevention strategies (information dissemination, drug education, alternatives, and intervention) are identified, and examples of how these strategies are being followed by programs throughout the country are presented. Finally, prospects for increasing minority group drug abuse prevention programs are assessed, and CMA's commitment to this goal is reaffirmed. (GC)