INTRODUCTION

Hortensia Amaro, Ph.D., and Dharma E. Cortés, Ph.D.

The purpose of this guide is to provide user-friendly

information on what is known about: 

◗ The prevalence of drug use among Hispanics

◗ The effects of drugs of use on the brain, especially 

on adolescent brain development

◗ Drug use prevention for Hispanic adolescents

◗ Treatment of Hispanics with drug abuse problems 

These topics were selected after providers serving Hispanic clients

were consulted on what they considered informational gaps 

in the area of drug abuse services and Hispanics. In response 

to their needs, this guide provides a sampling of empirically

supported practices under each topic and offers guidance to

counselors and other providers serving Hispanic clients on where

to obtain more in-depth and comprehensive information. The

last section of this guide contains important resources that

readers can consult to obtain more information on specific topics.

The Prevalence of Drug Use among Hispanics

Hortensia Amaro, Ph.D., and Dharma E. Cortés, Ph.D.

Although there is no simple way to describe the patterns 

of drug use among Hispanics, certain patterns have been

identified: 

◗ Drug use rates among Hispanics 12-17 years old are 

similar to rates among non-Hispanic White counterparts (1). 

◗ Findings from the 2005 Monitoring the Future study reveal

that 12th grade Hispanic students reported the highest rate of

use for some drugs: crack, heroin, heroin with and without a

needle, ice, and Rohypnol. Hispanic 8th grade students’ use

came out highest compared to blacks and whites on nearly all

classes of drugs (amphetamines being the major exception) (2).

◗ The higher rates of illicit drug use among younger Hispanic

students is a serious public health problem because younger

age of initiation has been associated with greater risk of

serious drug abuse related problems and addiction (3).

◗ Older Hispanics report lower drug use rates than older nonHispanic Whites (1). 

◗ Drug use is higher among Hispanic males than Hispanic

females. The differences are greater between older men and

older women, and less so between younger men and women (3).

◗ U.S.-born Hispanics report higher rates of drug use, abuse,

and dependence than Hispanics born outside the U.S. (3).

Effects of Drugs of Use on the Brain 

and on Adolescent Brain Development

Keith A. Trujillo, Ph.D., and Patricia Molina, M.D., Ph.D.

How does the brain react to addictive drugs?

Addictive drugs commonly produce two effects that contribute to

their ability to lead to addiction: pleasure and plasticity. Pleasure

refers to the rewarding effects of drugs of abuse; and plasticity

refers to the ability of addictive drugs to produce changes in the

brain following long-term use (4).

A specific brain circuit, sometimes called the reward circuit,

is responsible for drug reinforcement.1 Although ‘pleasure’ is 

a necessary property of addictive drugs, it is not sufficient to

produce addiction. Compulsive drug seeking, the hallmark 

of addiction, arises not simply from the pleasurable effects of

drugs, but from the ability of drugs to produce changes in the

brain and behavior as a result of repeated use. These changes—

collectively referred to as “drug-induced plasticity”— include

tolerance,2 sensitization3 and physical dependence 4 (5).

Just as memories can last a lifetime, changes in the brain that

contribute to drug desire may last a lifetime. Research is being

conducted to determine the mechanisms involved in druginduced plasticity, as well as the brain changes responsible for

compulsive drug-seeking (4,5).

How are genes and addiction related?

Not all individuals who experiment with drugs will develop 

an addiction. Development of drug addiction is a result of 

the interaction of the environment, the genetic makeup of 

the individual and the response of the brain to the drug (6,7).

Genetic factors can account for a considerable amount of the

vulnerability to addiction: 

◗ Genes can influence the likelihood that an individual will

participate in risky behavior, experiment with drugs or seek

novel experiences. 

◗ Genes contribute to the personality of the individual,

specifically how the person will respond to environmental

1 Brain areas that are key in this circuit are the ventral tegmental area (VTA), the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) and the prefrontal cortex (Pfc). This circuit allows individuals to experience

normal sensory pleasures. However, drugs of abuse bypass sensory systems and directly stimulate the circuit, thereby producing pleasurable feelings. Drugs do this by stimulating specific

neurotransmitter systems in the reward circuit. Neurotransmitters are used as messengers between neurons in different parts of the brain to convey information, form memories and

orchestrate reactions to our environment, including those of pleasure and reward .

2 Tolerance is a decrease in an effect of a drug as a result of long-term use; users will increase drug intake if tolerance occurs to the desired effects of a drug. 3 Sensitization is the opposite of tolerance: an increase in an effect of a drug following long-term use. Sensitization has been linked to the development of drug craving in addiction. 4 Physical dependence is an adaptive physiological change in which further drugs are necessary to avoid unpleasant withdrawal symptoms.

Drug Abuse among Hispanics

A Brief Evidence-Based Guide for Providers

1

U.S DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

Center for Substance Abuse Treatment

www.samhsa.gov MTRAPED

NE T OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES • USA
factors and to the social and peer pressures that encourage

experimentation with substances of abuse. 

◗ Genes can determine how the individual responds to a

specific drug by affecting neurotransmitter receptors that

recognize and respond to a drug, or enzymes that are involved

in removing a drug from the body. 

◗ Certain genes can contribute to the development of addiction.

Some of them are specifically linked to increased vulnerability

to a given class of drugs (opioids or cocaine), while others

appear to be generalized to several addictive behaviors (6,7). 

It is important to remember that genes on their own do not

determine whether or not someone will become addicted to

drugs. Rather, they can create a vulnerability to drug addiction

that under the right environmental conditions (such as experience

of trauma or great exposure to drugs) may increase the chances

of developing an addiction disorder. Addiction will occur if an

individual with a mix of risky genes encounters risky environmental circumstances. From a clinical perspective, science is a

long way from being able to diagnose risk for addiction based on

genetic screening. 

Is drug use related to brain damage?

Research does show that chronic use of some drugs can lead to

gross structural changes, including brain shrinkage and other

irregularities. For example, imaging studies have shown that

long-term use of methamphetamine can decrease gray matter 

in certain regions of the brain, such as the ones involved in

learning (8).

Changes in the brain produced by drugs of abuse can affect

brain function, including cognition, learning and memory:

◗ Heavy use of marijuana may impair attention and the brain’s

capacity of organizing complex behavior. 

◗ Chronic methamphetamine users have been found to be more

easily distracted and less efficient at focusing attention on

complex tasks. 

◗ Chronic cocaine users have shown impaired attention,

learning, memory, reaction time and cognitive flexibility. 

◗ Persons addicted to heroin have exhibited impaired impulse

control. 

It is important to note that several of these changes are partially

reversible with abstinence, particularly during the early period

of sobriety or abstinence. However, they may not totally disappear

following discontinuation of drug use. The brain is very resilient,

and in the cases in which damage does occur, the brain shows a

remarkable ability to overcome deficits. Although brain cells do

not regenerate, repair and re-growth do occur, and even when

they do not, the brain can develop new ways (or connections)

to get things done and compensate for some of the defects that

persist as a result of chronic drug abuse. 

What is the impact of drugs on adolescent brain development?

The earlier an individual begins using drugs, the more likely it

is that problem use and addiction will develop. However, until

recently most of the research on the neurobiology of drug abuse

and addiction focused on adults, with little attention given to

adolescents. Since adolescence is a critical time at which people

begin experimenting with drugs, it is important to understand

the adolescent brain, and to ascertain whether or not it differs

from the adult brain in ways that influence drug taking and/or

the consequences of drug use (9,10,11).

◗ The brain continues to develop through adolescence and 

into young adulthood. The brain matures in a back-to-front

direction, beginning with areas involved in motor function

and ending with regions involved in rational decision-making,

impulse control and planning, making the prefrontal cortex

one of the last areas to develop. This may help to explain 

why adolescents often make decisions based on immediate

concerns, with less consideration given to long-term consequences. In other words, the adolescent brain is predisposed

to risky behavior (9,10). 

There are other factors that may influence risk for addiction 

in adolescence: the type of drug used, the individual’s genetic

makeup, the underlying behavioral predisposing factors, and

the environmental stressors and pressures surrounding the

individual. All of these factors interact to determine who will

become addicted to a given drug. However, two of the most

important factors in the development of addictive disorders are

the amount or quantity of drug consumed and the inherent

biological vulnerability to addiction of the individual. 

Drug Use Preventive Interventions 

for Hispanic Adolescents 

Barbara López, Ph.D., Hilda Pantín, Ph.D., 

and Felipe González Castro, Ph.D.

The goals of drug abuse prevention are to modify risk and

protective factors that increase or decrease the probability of

youth drug use. These risk and protective factors are grouped

into two categories: intrapersonal/individual factors (e.g., social

cognitive attitudes, beliefs, and intentions regarding drug use)

and contextual factors (e.g., family, school, and peers). Intrapersonal factors that have been identified as protective for drug

use are drug resistance skills, personal self-management, and

general social skills, which have been shown to protect Hispanic

adolescents from drug use (12,13,14). Among the contextual

factors, the family context has been found to be the most

important factor in the development of adolescent drug use

(15). Family factors such as family support for the adolescent,

parent-adolescent communication (16), parent-adolescent

connectedness (17,18), and parental monitoring of adolescent

activities (19,20) are powerful protective factors against drug

use. In addition to the family context, the school context is an

area of concern for Hispanic adolescents because their high rate

of school drop-out (21) places them at greater risk for drug use

(22,23). Finally, affiliation with deviant peers and peer drug

use are considered to be the most proximal correlates of

adolescent drug use (24). 

What are some efficacious preventive interventions for

Hispanic adolescents?

Five preventive interventions have focused on promoting

protective intrapersonal and/or contextual factors. They 

have been found to be efficacious in preventing drug use and

increasing protective factors (e.g., academic achievement and

parental involvement) in Hispanics adolescents. The interventions

are Life Skills Training (LST), Say Yes First, Familias Unidas,

2
Keepin’ It REAL, and Nuestras Familias: Andando Entre Culturas.

◗ Life Skills Training is a child-centered, school-based preventive

intervention. Among child-centered interventions, LST (25) 

is one of the most extensively researched and frequently used

drug use prevention program for middle school students (26).

It uses cognitive behavioral techniques to increase protective

intrapersonal factors such as drug resistance skills, personal

self-management, and general social skills, which have been

shown to protect Hispanic adolescents from drug use

(27,28,29,30). 

◗ Say Yes First (30) is also a child-centered, school-based

preventive intervention. It focuses on promoting individual

(e.g., reducing antisocial behavior) and contextual protective

factors (e.g., increasing academic achievement and adolescent

involvement in prosocial activities) to reduce drug use. The 

Say Yes First intervention incorporates academic tutoring,

enrichment programs (e.g., after-school activities), case

management, and referral to community services. It has 

been used with youth in 4th to 8th grades. 

◗ Familias Unidas (31,32) addresses contextual risk and protective

factors through a parent-centered intervention for immigrant

Hispanic adolescents and their families. In light of the

importance of the family context, Familias Unidas focuses on

the family as the primary agent of change. Clinicians work

closely with the family through parent-centered groups and

family visits to implement long-lasting changes in family

functioning (e.g., increases in parental investment, parentadolescent communication, parental monitoring of peers).

Although the primary focus of Familias Unidas is on family

functioning, the important role of school and peers is also

addressed in the intervention. Familias Unidas attempts to

increase bonding to school by linking parents with the school

system. It also attempts to increase parental monitoring of

peers by linking parents of adolescent peers to create

supervisory networks.

◗ Keepin’ It REAL (33) is a culturally-grounded prevention

intervention curriculum developed at Arizona State University.

It has been effective in preventing the initial use of alcohol and

tobacco (gateway substances to use other drugs), and in

improving social norms and resistance strategies. The Mexican

American and Multicultural versions of this program have

exhibited better efficacy on several targeted outcomes than the

combined African-American-EuroAmerican version (34,35).

◗ Nuestras Familias: Andando Entre Culturas (35) is a 12-session

parent training prevention intervention based on Social

Interaction Learning Theory (36) and Eco-developmental

Theory (37), with an added emphasis on the effects of the

acculturation process on Latino families. Nuestras Familias has

been efficacious in improving general and overall parenting,

parenting skills and encouragement, as well as three youth

outcomes, (i.e., aggression, externalizing, and youth-reported

likelihood of drug use). 

What are other effective strategies to prevent adolescent

drug use?

Parental involvement in the adolescent’s life and parental

monitoring of peer activities have all been found to be effective

strategies to prevent drug use in adolescents (38,39). Parental

involvement and monitoring can often go hand in hand. In 

the planning and supervising of activities (e.g., slumber parties,

sporting events, and barbecues) parents increase their involvement

with their adolescent and become acquainted with their adolescent’s peers as well as the parents of their adolescent’s peers.

Creating links between parents develops natural parent support

networks that can serve as resources for parents to help supervise

their adolescents. 

What are some clinical strategies to address prevention issues?

Preventive interventions have used a variety of clinical strategies,

including engagement and group cohesion. Encouraging

engagement into the intervention is an important and often

difficult aspect of the preventive intervention. Engagement is

especially difficult in preventive interventions because many times

adolescents are not currently experiencing problematic behavior

and families may not see prevention of future problems as a

priority. In engaging families, group leaders focus on establishing

trust with parents, adolescents, and other family members. 

This is accomplished by assuring consistent availability,

commitment, and support. For engaging Hispanic immigrant

families it may be necessary to go the extra mile and conduct

home visits to meet the family in their own environment (40).

Once trust is established, discussion of the potential benefits of

participation in the intervention as well as potential perceived

barriers to participation can begin. A discussion of these two

issues is necessary because although the possible benefits of the

intervention may be attractive to families, family hopelessness and

parental disinvestment may present obstacles to participation.

Group cohesion is also important because it can help parents

to remain engaged in the intervention, provide social support

for parents, and facilitate the acquisition of parenting skills.

One way to promote group cohesion is through the use of

participatory learning to deliver intervention components. In

participatory learning, group leaders are viewed as collaborators

rather than as experts by parents. Group leaders facilitate the

acquisition of skills through active parent participation. 

Treatment of Hispanics with Drug Abuse Problems

Daniel Santisteban, Ph.D.

Hispanics use fewer health care services; are less likely than

non-Hispanic Whites to have entered the health system for any

type of care; and have the highest rate of uninsured individuals

in the U.S. In the light of these findings, this section provides

information on research-supported practices and treatments,

and how these can be helpful in the engagement, assessment,

and treatment of Hispanics with drug abuse problems. 

Why do we insist on having practices and treatments that

have been tested in research?

One of the major benefits of evidence-based practices in drug

abuse treatment is the greater degree of confidence that the

intervention is likely to have a substantial impact on drug abuse

and related symptoms. Research also sheds light on the specific

circumstances in which an intervention can work well or poorly.

3
When treatments are “manualized,” they help to specify the

most important strategies and interventions from a package 

of interventions, and help prepare the counselor for challenges

to implementation and to fidelity. Fidelity, sometimes called

adherence, is important because it ensures that the most

important components of a treatment are offered to the 

client in the way that is most effective.

When treating Hispanics who may have important clinical

issues (such as acculturation and immigration-related stressors)

that are not given a lot of attention in the treatment manual

there may be extra challenges to achieve fidelity. Adaptations

may be necessary in order to make the treatment more relevant

to clients. These are the types of challenges and questions that

continue to be the focus of the research and treatment

communities concerned with the treatment of Hispanics. 

What do we know about strategies that work to engage

Hispanic clients into treatment?

There are many factors that keep clients away from the

treatments they need. Sometimes they may have had past

treatment failures or other negative experiences with treatment.

Other times issues will emerge during treatment that may be

embarrassing to discuss and can carry stigma. Some examples

of such issues are sexual or physical abuse, the addictions 

of other family members, criminal behavior, and marital

infidelity. When working with Hispanic clients, there may be

other unique barriers, such as language barriers, feelings of

being intimidated by/or being discriminated against by large

service systems and institutions, issues of legal residency

documentation, and a lack of familiarity with the goals and

methods of treatment. Several strategies appear to be helpful:

◗ It has been found that when Mexican Americans were offered

treatment within an ethnicity-specific program, they were 

11 times more likely to return for a second session, than 

when they were offered services in a mainstream program not

tailored to Mexican Americans and their surroundings (41). 

◗ Clinical and research work focused on bringing reluctant

Hispanic family members into family therapy for treatment 

of a drug abusing adolescent has found that specialized

engagement interventions (42) specifically designed to address

the reasons for reluctance (e.g., handling a family secret) can

lead to substantially better engagement of the adolescents and

family members (43,44).

◗ Motivational Interviewing (45) can be helpful in increasing

motivation to seek treatment, in increasing retention in

services, and in reducing drug abuse (46). 

The success of engagement interventions such as those outlined

above suggests that the low utilization rates by Hispanics can be

substantially improved by adopting engagement strategies that

are tailored to the cultural, clinical, and family characteristics of

Hispanic clients. 

What are some of the assessment tools of drug abuse 

problems that are recommended to be used with Hispanics?

◗ Addiction Severity Index (ASI) is a 200-item multidimensional

clinical interview used to measure drug and alcohol abuse and

related domains, including medical status, employment and

support, legal status, family/social status, and psychiatric

status. The ASI (47) is useful because it can provide a score of

the degree of addiction severity upon entering a program, which

can be used to make treatment placement decisions and/or 

to assess change in severity of symptoms over time and with

treatment. It is available in Spanish and has been widely used

with Hispanics. Much work has also been accomplished under a

NIDA-SAMHSA–initiative on Addiction Technology Transfer

Centers (ATTC) to develop specific strategies and procedures

for efficiently utilizing ASI data in treatment planning.

◗ Drinkers Inventory of Consequences is a 50-item

questionnaire that measures the adverse consequences of

drinking along major dimensions, including interpersonal,

physical, social, impulsive, and intrapersonal domains (48). 

The instrument is available in Spanish and has been used

considerably with Hispanic populations. Briefer versions of

the instrument are also available.

What do we know about treatment for adolescent drug abuse?

Adolescents find themselves in a very unique developmental

stage in which family, peers and identity formation play major

roles in their lives. Not surprisingly, some of the treatments

that have proven to work well in the treatment of drug abuse 

in adolescents are family-based. The family is the naturally

occurring unit that continues to have extraordinary influence

on the course or trajectory of the adolescent’s development.

While some argue that family influence is diminished during

adolescence because of the development of autonomy, others

disagree because they contend that the health and flexibility 

of the family help determine the extent to which healthy or

unhealthy autonomy takes place. There are common treatment

components found in successful family therapy programs such

as Brief Strategic Family Therapy (49), Functional Family

Therapy (50), Multidimensional Family Therapy (51), and

Multisystemic Family Therapy (52). Important treatment

components in family therapy typically include: 

◗ Improvement of family relationships (e.g., attachment and

cohesion/conflict)

◗ Improving parental skills (e.g., parenting training and

monitoring strategies)

◗ Intervening in the adolescent’s ecology (e.g., school and 

peer systems)

◗ In some cases, individual work helps the youth progress

through important developmental challenges. 

While some treatments that are not family-based, such as

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, have been found to be effective

with adolescent drug abuse (53), the evidence to date appears 

to lean heavily toward empirically supported family-based

approaches (54). Unfortunately, among empirically supported

treatments, there has not been sufficient discussion regarding the

specific ways in which factors that shape the Hispanic experience

in the United States such as acculturation and immigration stress,

ethnic identity issues, and traditional family structures should be

addressed in treatment. All of these factors can make it more

challenging for Hispanic families to work effectively as a unit in

support of healthy adolescent development. In selecting

treatment approaches to utilize with Hispanics, it is reasonable to

ask whether a given treatment approach is capable of addressing

these types of stressors prominent in the lives of Hispanics (55).

4
A recent issue of the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence

contains two papers on Hispanic adolescents (56,57).

What are some of the assessment tools of drug abuse

problems that are recommended to be used with Hispanic

adolescents?

◗ The Comprehensive Addiction Severity Index for Adolescents

(CASI-A)(58) is a 45 to 90-minute semi-structured clinical

interview for adolescents. The CASI-A assesses risk factors,

symptoms, and consequences of adolescent alcohol/drug use.

Areas of functioning assessed include: education status,

alcohol/drug use, family relationships, peer relationships, legal

status, psychiatric distress, and use of free time. The CASI-A 

is considered a clinical assessment tool that can be used to

guide treatment planning and to evaluate treatment outcome. 

◗ The Personal Experiences Inventory (59) is designed to

provide clinicians with a standardized tool to assist in the

identification, referral and treatment of problems commonly

associated with adolescent alcohol and substance abuse. The

full PEI is a 276-item self-report instrument that can be used

with youth ages 12-18 and takes 45-60 minutes to complete.

Its scales include substance use problem severity and

frequency, personal risk factors, environmental risk factors,

school problems, family problems, and psychiatric disorders.

What do we know about treatments for drug abuse in adults?

There are a variety of treatments found to be efficacious with

drug abuse among Hispanic adults. For example, Motivational

Interviewing and Motivational Enhancement Therapy have 

a strong body of evidence showing that they can improve

engagement into addiction services, adherence to treatment

and, in some cases, have a direct impact on drug abuse (46).

Contingency Management, or the strategic use of incentives to

shape healthy behavior (e.g., abstinence, goal achievement), has

been found to be effective when integrated into many different

types of treatment programs (60,61,62). This approach is fairly

straightforward in terms of implementation— not requiring

intensive training and supervision. Behavioral Couples Therapy

is a family-based intervention that has been widely tested with

substance abusing adults and is showing very impressive effects

on a number of important dimensions (e.g., domestic violence,

drug abuse, and medication compliance) (63). This approach

has the added value of working with the naturally occurring

context and natural support system of the primary client.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) has also been widely

tested and found to be effective in the treatment of adult drug

abuse. Manuals are available for CBT (64); several of the other

treatment modalities presented in this section are available as

part of the National Institute on Drug Abuse’s set of treatment manuals. In addition to research on the impact of these

interventions, there has also been a growth of research on the

training of counselors in these methods. 

What are the effects of use of medications for drug abuse

and co-occurring problems?

Several medications are commonly used in the treatment of

addiction. Methadone, used in the treatment of heroin

addiction, is an opiate agonist that occupies and turns on 

opiate receptors. Naltrexone, used to treat both alcohol and

opioid addiction, works as an antagonist to block the effects of

drugs of addiction. Buprenorphine is a very popular and

relatively new (FDA-approved in 2002) medication used

primarily for opiate detoxification. Burprenorphine works as a

partial agonist—occupying and activating the opiate receptors—

but is less likely to be abused because its effect does not continue

to increase in proportion to large quantities consumed. 

It is also important to consider that in the treatment of

addiction, co-occurring psychiatric disorders such as depression,

post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and, in children, attention

deficit disorder are frequently prominent. When used wisely,

medications for such disorders can greatly facilitate the

treatment of addictions. 

In the use of any medication, adherence is a major challenge.

When working with Hispanics, it is very important to explore

the client’s attitudes and beliefs (such as “I should be able 

to handle the depression without medication”) regarding

medication (65). It is also very important to encourage the

client to ask questions and seek additional information on 

such issues as medication side effects. Hispanic clients, 

usually respectful of authority figures such as psychiatrists,

psychologists and nurses, may hesitate to ask questions and 

thus may not fully understand the reasons for taking a 

specific medication and the commonplace need to recalibrate 

or substitute a poorly performing medication. 

What are some of the current gaps in drug research 

among Hispanics? 

◗ There is limited scientific evidence regarding the efficacy and

effectiveness of drug abuse prevention interventions as applied

specifically with Hispanic populations.

◗ Existing studies fall short of identifying underlying personal

and situational factors that drive attitudes toward safer sex

practice and lead to risky behavior. 

◗ Family-based treatment, the only proven approach for

treatment of drug abuse among Hispanic youth has not been

tested in community-based agencies.

◗ There is not one single randomized study of treatment

efficacy among Hispanic women or girls. 

◗ Less than a handful of studies have evaluated ethnic

differences in treatment response to pharmacotherapy for

substance abuse. 

◗ Scientifically proven treatments need to be tested in real life

settings where Hispanics are served in order to assess if, in

fact, these approaches can be applied in community-based

service agencies. 

5
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Resources

We encourage you to consult the resources listed below for 

up-to-date information on scientifically-based findings that 

are relevant to the clients you serve. 

General

(Information on each of the topics may be found in these sources.)

NIDA Science and Practice Perspectives (a journal from 

the National Institute on Drug Abuse):

http://www.nida.nih.gov/Perspectives/index.html

NIDA Notes (a newsletter from the National Institute on Drug

Abuse): http://www.drugabuse.gov/NIDA_Notes/NNIndex.html

NIDA Research Reports (scientific information on specific 

drugs of abuse):

http://www.drugabuse.gov/ResearchReports/ResearchIndex.html

NIDA for Teens: The Science Behind Drug Abuse (information

directed specifically to young people): http://teens.drugabuse.gov/

Amaro, H., and Iguchi, M.Y. (Eds.) (2006). Scientific

opportunities in Hispanic Drug Abuse Research Drug and

Dependence, Supp.1, S1-S102.

Epidemiology of Drug Abuse Among Hispanics

National Survey on Drug Use & Health at

http://oas.samhsa.gov/nhsda.htm

Drugs, the Brain and Addiction

NIDA InfoFacts: Science-Based Facts on Drug Abuse and

Addiction: http://www.nida.nih.gov/Infofacts/Infofaxindex.html

Understanding Drug Abuse and Addiction: What Science 

Says (a PowerPoint slide teaching packet for practitioners,

teachers and neuroscientists).

http://www.nida.nih.gov/pubs/teaching/Teaching3/Teaching.html

Meyer, J.S., & Quenzer, L.F. (2005). Psychopharmacology: Drugs,

the Brain and Behavior. Sunderland, MA: Sinauer Associates.

Brain Briefings, Society for Neuroscience:

http://web.sfn.org/content/Publications/BrainBriefings/index.html

Genes and Addiction

Kreek, M.J., Bart, G., Lilly, C., Laforge, K.S., & Nielsen, D.A.

(2005). Pharmacogenetics and human molecular genetics of

opiate and cocaine addictions and their treatments.

Pharmacological Reviews, 57, 1-26. Available online at:

http://pharmrev.aspetjournals.org/cgi/content/full/57/1/1

Drugs and the Adolescent Brain

Gogtay, N., Giedd, J.N., Lusk, L., Hayashi, K.M., Greenstein,

D., Vaituzis, A.C., Nugent, T.F., Herman, D.H., Clasen,

L.S., Toga, A.W., Rapoport, J.L., & Thompson, P.M. (2004).

Dynamic mapping of human cortical development during

childhood through early adulthood. Proceedings of the

National Academy of Sciences, 101, 8174-8179. Movies

accompanying this article may be viewed at:

http://www.pnas.org/cgi/content/full/0402680101/DC1

White, A.M. Substance Abuse and the Adolescent 

Brain: An Overview with a Focus on Alcohol.

http://www.duke.edu/~amwhite/Adolescence/Adolescent%20

webpage %20paper%200504.pdf

8
Drug Use Preventive Interventions for Hispanic Adolescents

For more information on the Keepin’ it REAL intervention,

visit http://keepinitreal.asu.edu/. 

Treatment of Hispanics with Drug Abuse Problems

The National Institute on Drug Abuse website

(NIDA.NIH.Gov) has helpful information including the

NIDA Clinical toolbox that has links to actual treatment

manuals and relevant publications. 

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service

administration website (SAMHSA.gov) provides access to

helpful information including “Treatment Improvements

Protocols (TIPS)” that are comprehensive and focus on

specific assessment and treatment topics (e.g., pregnant 

and substance abusing women, older adults, HIV, family

therapy, adolescent treatment) and other similar resources.

Websites for the network of Addiction Technology

Transfer Centers (ATTC) provide valuable information 

on treatment and practice issues: www.nattc.org/blending

initiative.

The website at SAMHSA.gov has links to medicationassisted treatment that are helpful in gaining more information on the use of medications for substance abuse treatment. 

Curricula for Treatment of Women in Recovery

Educational curricula for women in recovery developed 

by the Boston Consortium of Services for Families in Recovery:

◗ Women’s Leadership Training Institute

◗ Economic Success in Recovery

◗ Pathways to Family Reunification and Recovery

◗ Spirituality and Recovery

(All these titles are available in English and Spanish.)

◗ Interdisciplinary Resource Team: Strategy for Integrated

Substance Abuse Treatment (in English)

For more information, please contact:

Rita L. Nieves, RN, MPH

Director, Bureau of Substance Abuse Services

Boston Public Health Commission

211 River St., Mattapan, MA 02126

T. (617) 534-7969

F. (617) 534-9231

Email: Rita_Nieves@bphc.org

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Preparation of this document was funded by the Substance Abuse

and Mental Health Services Administration. The authors want 

to thank all the providers who offered insightful input during 

the preparation of this document. Special thanks to Opal Mita,

Project Coordinator at Northeastern University’s Institute on 

Urban Health Research, for coordinating the activities related 

to the development of this document. 

9

CONTRIBUTORS:

Hortensia Amaro, Ph.D.

Director, Institute on 

Urban Health Research

Distinguished Professor, 

Bouvé College of Health Sciences

Northeastern University

360 Huntington Ave.

Stearns Center, Suite 503

Boston, MA 02115

(617) 373-7601

h.amaro@neu.edu

www.iuhr.neu.edu

Dharma E. Cortés, Ph.D.

Instructor

Cambridge Health Alliance/

Harvard Medical School

Department of Psychiatry

1493 Cambridge Street

Cambridge, MA 02139

(617) 503-8469

dharma_cortes@hms.harvard.edu

Felipe González Castro, Ph.D.

Professor

Department of Psychology

Arizona State University

950 S. McAllister

Tempe, AZ 95287-1104 

(480) 965-4969

Felipe.Castro@asu.edu

Barbara López, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Fellow

Center for Family Studies

Department of Psychiatry and 

Behavioral Sciences

Leonard M. Miller School 

of Medicine

University of Miami

1425 NW 10th Ave

Miami, Florida 33136

(305) 243-6351

Blopez@med.miami.edu

Patricia E. Molina, MD, Ph.D.

Ashman Professor of Physiology

LSUHSC Alcohol 

Research Center

1901 Perdido Street

New Orleans, LA 70112

(504) 568-6178

pmolin@lsuhsc.edu

Hilda Pantín, Ph.D.

Clinical Associate Professor

Director, Prevention Division

Center for Family Studies

Department of Psychiatry and 

Behavioral Sciences

Leonard M. Miller School 

of Medicine

University of Miami

1425 NW 10th Ave

Miami, Florida 33136

(305) 243-2343

hpantin@med.miami.edu

Daniel A. Santisteban, Ph.D.

Research Professor

Center for Family Studies

Department of Psychiatry and 

Behavioral Sciences

Leonard M. Miller School 

of Medicine

University of Miami

1425 NW 10th Ave

Miami, Florida 33136

(305) 243-3659

dsantist@med.miami.edu

Keith A. Trujillo, Ph.D.

Professor

Department of Psychology

California State University 

San Marcos

333 S. Twin Oaks Valley Road

San Marcos, CA 92096-0001

(760) 750-4183

keith@csusm.edu

The original source of information used for this brochure was

Amaro, H. & Cortés, D.E. (2003). National Strategic Plan on Hispanic

Drug Abuse Research: From the Molecule to the Community. Boston:

Northeastern University.

For more information about the strategic plan or the National Hispanic

Science Network on Drug Abuse, please go to www.hispanicscience.org

or contact: Hortensia Amaro, Ph.D., Director, Institute on Urban

Health Research, Bouvé College of Health Sciences, Northeastern

University, h.amaro@neu.edu or go to www.iuhr.neu.edu.