Prescription and OTC Drug Use Among Hispanic Teens
Each day 2,500 youth in ages 12 to 17, abuse a pain reliever for the very first time. More teens abuse prescription drugs more than any illicit drug except marijuana.
In 2006, more than 2.1 million teens ages 12 to 17 reported abusing prescription drugs. Among 12- and 13-year-olds, prescription drugs are the drug of choice. - In 2005, one in five (21%), or 581,000 Hispanic teens, had tried prescription medication to get high. Abuse of psychotherapeutics among Hispanic youth increased by 16 percent from 2003-2004. Even more alarming, almost half (45%) of Hispanic teens believe that prescription medicines, even if they are not prescribed by a doctor, are much safer to use than illicit drugs.
Although research shows that Hispanic teens listen to their parents when it comes to drugs, almost a third of Hispanic youth (28%) say that in the last year their parents or grandparents never talked to them about drugs. -- Only 32 percent of Hispanic parents see taking prescription medication to get high as a problem among teens.
Source: CDC
Biculturalism Means Happier Latino Teens
Over the years, research has shown that Latino youth face numerous risk factors when integrating into American culture, including increased rates of alcohol and substance use and higher rates of dropping out of school.
But a new study from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill shows adolescents who actively embrace their native culture – and whose parents become more involved in U.S. culture – stand a greater chance of avoiding these risks and developing healthier behaviors overall.
It was found that teens who maintain strong ties to their Latino cultures perform better academically and adjust more easily socially. Additionally, the study showed parents who develop a strong bi-cultural perspective have teen children who are less likely to feel anxiety and face fewer social problems
Source: June 24, 2009 UNC News Services / study by the UNC-based Latino Acculturation and Health Project
What Are Los Kitos Up To?
Reaching Hispanic Parents Through Reading
Los Kitos have partnered with Publisher and Educator Jorge A. Fernandez to promote the book “DIA” – Desarrollo Integral del Adolescente (Integral Adolescent Development by its Spanish initials).
Fernández has a BA in business administration from UNAM (Autonomous National University of Mexico) and a MBA from the Central University in Venezuela. He worked as a professor in the Autonomous University of Juarez in Tabasco Mexico. There, he took courses specializing in family and couple therapy. He has written 11 personal development books, the last of which is DIA.
The “DIA” System is a book that provides support to parents with teens as well as an exercise book based on many years of working with children and teens to find a way to imprint the extraordinary in their lives as a part of their development so they can become trustworthy, responsible and determined individuals.
Tax Education with Los Kitos Flair
Liberty Tax and Los Kitos are working together to provide information to the community on tax issues that are important and to them and they need to be aware of.
Los Kitos will be producing collateral material on topics that everyone needs to know about taxes. The content will be developed in partnership with Liberty Tax; will be bilingual and in an Edu-entertaining format to drive the message in a fun and easy way to understand.
About Liberty Tax
Liberty Tax is the fastest growing retail income tax preparation firm in the industry’s history. Founded in 1997 by CEO John T. Hewitt, a pioneer in the tax industry, Liberty Tax has prepared over 6,000,000 individual income tax returns and currently operates 3,200 offices throughout the United States and Canada. Entrepreneur magazine has ranked Liberty Tax #1 in tax preparation category on the latest Franchise 500.
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