Alcohol Use Among Cuban-Americans, Mexican-Americans, and Puerto Ricans

Studies of alcohol consumption among Hispanics in the United States show different patterns based on gender, country of origin, and economic status. The literature shows a lower frequency but higher volume of consumption among Mexican-American and Puerto Rican males than among non-Hispanic white males. Cuban-American males have a pattern of relatively moderate consumption that resembles that of non-Hispanic whites. Women from Mexican-American, Cuban-American, and Puerto Rican populations have low alcohol consumption rates, which appear to increase with the level of acculturation. Existing data are old, however, and new studies are needed to update information on alcohol consumption patterns of the largest Hispanic subgroups in the United States as well as the drinking habits of the growing numbers of Hispanics from places other than Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Cuba.