Substance abuse

Abstract

Tobacco, alcohol, and drug abuse extracts a substantial societal and personal cost among the general population and among Arab Americans. The studies presented in this chapter show that tobacco, alcohol, and drug use/misuse occurs among Arab Americans, with waterpipe smoking in particular representing a growing problem. However, it is not clear how much of the difference in prevalence across substances is due to stigma and how much is due to cultural practices which may change with acculturation. Two substances have higher prevalence among Arab Americans than the general population: waterpipe smoking and binge drinking. Culturally informed prevention and treatment strategies to address substance abuse in general, and specifically waterpipe smoking and binge drinking, need to be developed.