Ethnicity, Communication, and Drugs

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Abstract
This study explored the degree to which different patterns of communication media exposure are associated with attitudes and behaviors related to drug usage, across four main diverse ethnic groups in the U.S.: whites, blacks, Hispanics and Asians. It was expected that members of these different groups would exhibit diverse patterns of correlation between their media habits and their drug attitudes and behaviors. By means of a quota sample, 171 personal interviews were completed with 45 white, 42 Hispanic, 43 Asian, and 41 black respondents in the Bay Area of San Francisco in the Fall of 1986. Of particular importance was that television exposure, Rock exposure, print and interpersonal channels behaved differently across ethnic groups. The most striking differences occurred when examining the associations between exposure to specific television shows and attitudes towards drugs and adventurous experimentation. Black and white respondents exhibited sharp contrasts which deserve careful scrutiny and understanding.

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