Resistance Behind Bars: The Struggles of Incarcerated Women

Here's something to think about when we talk about who goes to prison and why, esp for drug-related charges. Or, in the case of teenagers, who is more likely to get stopped and frisked and searched for drugs by the police...

About 9 percent of the white teenagers in the study sample used substances in ways that indicated they had disorders, meaning abuse or dependency. That's nearly twice the percentage of blacks nearly three times the rate for a group classified as Asian/Pacific Islander, which were mostly Asians.. The prevalence of disorders was by far highest among Native Americans, at 15 percent.

Abuse was defined as substance use that caused at least one problem such as legal or relationship issues. Dependence meant meeting several criteria from a list that included inability to cut down, giving up other activities and continued use despite problems.

Full story at: http://www.nationofchange.org/black-asian-teens-less-likely-whites-abuse...