Food habits of drug-using Puerto Rican women in inner-city Hartford

Abstract

Research on the impact of heroin, cocaine, and other drugs on the dietary patterns of drug users is limited. This paper presents qualitative data from Project SANA (Salud y Nutrición en Addición/Health and Nutrition in Addiction) on the food habits of drug-using Puerto Rican women in inner-city Hartford, Connecticut. The results indicate that both the quantity and the quality of food intake are inadequate in this group of women. The physiological and psychological effects of drugs, coupled with poverty, homelessness, and difficulty in accessing food assistance, jeopardize the health and well-being of drug users and their children. The results underscore the importance of integrating nutrition education with drug-treatment services for drug-using women in the inner city.