Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #109421

Javier Lopez-Zetina, PhD, MA¹, Ricardo Sanchez-Huesca, PhD², Robert H. Friis, PhD³, Britt Rios-Ellis, PhD⁴, and Claire Garrido-Ortega, MPH, CHES³. (1) Health Science Department, California State University, Long Beach, 1250 Bellflower Blvd., Long Beach, CA 90840, (562) 985-1977, jlopezze@csulb.edu, (2) Dirección de Investigación y Enseñanza, Centros de Integración Juvenil, Tlaxcala 208, Co. Hipódromo Condesa, Mexico, D.F., 061000, Mexico, (3) Department of Health Science, California State University, Long Beach, 1250 Bellflower Blvd, Long Beach, CA 90840, (4) Health Science, California State University Long Beach, 1250 Bellflower Boulevard, Long Beach, CA 90840

Objectives: To compare cross-nationally demographic and substance use patterns among persons in drug treatment in the City of Tijuana, Mexico and San Diego, California, U.S. Methods: Drug treatment data collected from Tijuana (n=4314) and San Diego (n=53961) from 1996 to 2003 were analyzed to determine differences and similarities in patterns of substance use among adult individuals seeking treatment in publicly-funded drug treatment centers. Substances compared included methamphetamine, marijuana, cocaine, heroine, inhalants and other substances. Each national sample was examined separately. Statistical analyses included comparison of proportions, examination of linear trends, and adjusted odds ratios. Results: The majority of individuals in both sides of the U.S./Mexico border reported methamphetamine as their primary drug. In San Diego, methamphetamine use was followed by marijuana, cocaine, heroin, other substances, and inhalants. In Tijuana, the proportion of marijuana users was the second largest, followed by heroin, cocaine and inhalants. Patterns of substance use by demographic characteristics were generally similar between both bi-national samples; with a remarkable similarity of greater likelihood of reporting methamphetamine use among women when compared to men. Other patterns of substance abuse, including length of use, age at initiation, and polydrug use, showed significant differences between the two national samples. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that while differences in patterns of substance use among treatment populations in the U.S/Mexico border are significant, common patterns also exist, particularly for emerging substance use epidemics such as methamphetamine abuse. The impact of drug use epidemics in the highly socio-economically integrated U.S./Mexico border region deserves further attention.

Learning Objectives: