Alcohol Use / Racial Profiling

[Guest guest]

I live in the Portland, Oregon area. Our local judges have become concerned

about the disproportionate numbers of migrant / seasonal workers that are in

court because of drinking and driving issues. Their question is to what degree

this is a result of racial profiling or other reasons. Is there any good

research on alcohol & /or racial profiling? Is there any reason to suspect an

increase at this time in alcohol consumption and driving?

[Guest guest]

Hi Jim,

I am working on this very topic as I design an alcohol/HIV prevention program

for for farmworkers.

I strongly recommend the following reference:

Caetano, R. & Raspberry, K (2000). Drinking and DSM-IV alcohol and drug

dependence among White and Mexican American DUI offenders. Journal of Studies on

Alcohol, 61 (3): 420-426.

In short, this is a complex issue and racial profiling could indeed be a factor.

On the other hand, if there are also unique risk factors for driving under the

influence, it would be helpful to use them to help prevent accidents.

Interestingly, Mexicans have a very different drinking pattern from both

Non-Latinos and Mexican Americans born in the US: they tend to drink less

frequently, but in larger amounts. There are also different alcohol expectancies

between Latinos and non-Latinos, but none of this actually answers your question

entirely at this point.

Is there any chance I could see the numbers that the local judges are concerned

about?

Feliz Año!

Lucila

PS.Wish me luck on my grant application- I sure need it- I am more used to

working in communities than academia!

Lucila Nerenberg, M.D.

Research Investigator, Addiction Research Center

Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan

400 E. Eisenhower Pkwy, Suite 2A

Ann Arbor, MI 48108-3318

Tel: 734- 615-6060 (ext 315 as of 1/10/02)

Fax: 734- 615-6085

email: nerenber@...

>>> Jim.Pettyjohn@... 01/02/02 01:00PM >>>

I live in the Portland, Oregon area. Our local judges have become concerned

about the disproportionate numbers of migrant / seasonal workers that are in

court because of drinking and driving issues. Their question is to what degree

this is a result of racial profiling or other reasons. Is there any good

research on alcohol & /or racial profiling? Is there any reason to suspect an

increase at this time in alcohol consumption and driving?

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