Clifford P R
Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University, Box G, 02912, Providence, RI.
J Prim Prev. 1992 Jun;12(4):303-16. doi: 10.1007/BF01325177.
Drug problems, including alcohol and tobacco abuse, present major public health concerns for the American people. Drug abuse and its related difficulties have been associated with both increased morbidity and premature mortality. In the United States, ethnic minorities have experienced the overall negative impact of drug abuse much more severely than the general population. The impact of drug prohibition in the United States has not been to eliminate or minimize the use of illicit drugs. Indeed, in recent times, the use of some illegal substances (e.g., cocaine) has increased among certain segments of our population; while the use of licit substances (e.g., alcohol) has decreased among specific groups. Unfortunately, drug prohibition and related policies have contributed to the differential impact of the negative consequences of drug abuse on ethnic and racial minorities. The passage and enforcement of repressive drug laws, to curb what is essentially a public health problem, has not been demonstrated to be a productive mechanism for the amelioration of drug related problems within our minority communities.
包括酗酒和吸烟在内的毒品问题，是美国民众面临的重大公共卫生问题。药物滥用及其相关问题与发病率上升和过早死亡都有关联。在美国，少数族裔遭受药物滥用带来的总体负面影响比普通民众更为严重。美国的禁毒措施并没有消除或减少非法药物的使用。事实上，近年来，某些人群中一些非法物质（如可卡因）的使用有所增加；而特定群体中合法物质（如酒精）的使用则有所减少。不幸的是，禁毒及相关政策加剧了药物滥用负面后果对少数族裔和种族群体的不同影响。旨在遏制本质上是公共卫生问题的严苛毒品法律的通过和实施，并未被证明是改善我们少数族裔社区内与毒品相关问题的有效机制。
