Alcohol use and abuse by adolescents: the impact of living in a border community

Purpose: To determine the rates of alcohol consumption and alcohol-related risk behaviors among a sample of high school students living on the U.S.–Mexico border, as well as to investigate factors associated with alcohol use among this population. A self-administered anonymous questionnaire was administered to students in grades 9–12 during Fall and Spring semesters of 2001 (n = 1366; 639 males and 722 females) in 16 high schools in a community along the U.S.–Mexico border. The questionnaire addressed demographic factors, alcohol consumption, and alcohol-related behaviors. Surveys were completed by Chi-square tests for homogeneity of the odds ratio and logistic regression models were used to identify factors significantly associated with the outcome variables. Rates of binge drinking (45%), drinking and driving (19%), and riding with a driver who had been drinking (46%) were higher for our study population when compared with state and national rates. Students who consumed alcohol were more likely to report alcohol-related problems and lower academic grades. Drinking while in Mexico was significantly associated with binge drinking (OR = 6.44), drinking and driving (OR = 5.39), and riding with a driver who has been drinking (OR = 3.12). The high rates of alcohol risk behaviors among students living on the U.S.–Mexico border underscore the need to develop and implement culturally appropriate prevention programs that address alcohol consumption in Mexico, particularly in terms of students driving back home.