Myth Busting
This word can be used to define drug use when it interferes with important functions like school, work, or social life.
What is addiction?
This substance is the most commonly used among Asian American young adults.
What is Alcohol?
About 44% of Asians aged 18-25 have used alcohol in the past 30 days. It is also the most widely used drug in the US (Hart & Ksir, 2022).
Being proficient in this language increases the likelihood of drug use.
What is English?
Being born in the US and having high proficiency in English are associated with drug use. Individuals who are more acculturated (less assimilated into American culture at large) are at greater risk for misuse than those who are less acculturated (Bersamira et al., 2017).
This racial group has the lowest usage rates in the US.
What is Asian?
Asian Americans have the lowest drug usage rates in the US. This can be attributed to cultural and/or social differences, such as drug use being frowned upon or taboo. Alcohol and tobacco are typically an exception, since they’re both legal and widely available (Choi et al., 2024; Hart & Ksir, 2022).
Stress, depression, low self-esteem, peer pressure, family influences, concerns of losing face.
What are treatment barriers?
These things block Asian American individuals from getting substance use treatment. Losing face is a theme in many cultures where respect and honor are emphasized, such as many Asian cultures (Bersamira et al., 2017; Choi et al., 2024).
True or False: Experiencing racial discrimination increases substance use.
True! Substance use can be used as a coping strategy to reduce stress that can be associated with discrimination (Yan et al., 2023).
This legal drug is considered socially acceptable across many cultures world-wide.
What is alcohol?
Drinking behaviors and culture are different across these cultures as well, and can contribute to the use of alcohol and its perceived harmfulness (Yan et al., 2023).
This ethnic group has the highest drug use rates among Asian Americans.
What is Filipino?
Reminder that drug use rates among ALL Asian Americans is 4.6%. While an exact number isn't given, it can be inferred that the percentage of Filipino Americans who have used/use drugs isn't a large part of the population (Choi et al., 2024).
Peer support, criminal justice system involvement, perceived need/want for treatment, access to culturally competent services.
What are treatment facilitators?
These things are considered helpful to Asian American individuals looking to get substance use treatment and make it easier for them to get help (Bersamira et al., 2017; Choi et al., 2024).
There has been a large increase of Asian Americans being admitted for treatment for misusing this substance.
What are prescription opioids?
Prescription opioids are typically pain relievers. There has been a 294% admission increase to substance use treatment facilities. Asian Americans are one of the biggest groups who misuse prescription drugs, which could be attributed to the idea that the legality overrides its misuse (Choi et al., 2024).
This social myth builds upon the stereotype that Asian Americans "follow the rules".
What is the model minority myth?
The model minority myth has existed for decades, painting Asian immigrants and Asian Americans as “the perfect example” of assimilation into a White American culture and a way to deny structural racism. This goes hand-in-hand with the stereotype that Asians are more academically and economically successful compared to other racial minority groups (Choi et al., 2024; Lee, 2019).
These two drugs have higher rates of use within Asian American communities.
What are tranquilizers and prescription drugs?
Tranquilizers are typically used to reduce stress. Prescription drugs may have higher rates of misuse because an addiction is easier to hide. Prescription drugs can be masked as safe, prescribed use (Choi et al., 2024; Yan et al., 2023).
True or False: Death resulting from an overdose can be counted more than once.
True! Most overdoses are the result of multiple substances within the body. For each substance present, a death can be counted. Eg. four drugs = four death counts for the same body (Hart & Ksir, 2022).
Among Asian Americans, the estimated rate is 4.6% (Bersamira et al., 2017).
What is drug use within the past year?
This word can be used to describe the lack of studies that focus on Asian Americans and drug use.
What is underrepresentation?
There’s also a lack of ethnic groups being included in studies, resulting in the differences among cultures and subcultures not being accounted for (Choi et al., 2024).
What historical event painted China and Chinese immigrants as “feared smokers”?
What were the Opium Wars?
Correlation of racialized others and addiction throughout history continue to have lasting impacts on American society today. Ex. the Crack epidemic resulting in the mass incarceration of people of color, predominantly Black people (Hart & Ksir, 2022; Lee, 2019).
This book published by the American Psychiatric Association contains the criteria to have a substance use disorder.
What is the DSM-5?
For all my psychology friends out there, this one's for you! Drug addiction and substance use disorder are used relatively interchangeably (Hart & Ksir, 2022).
True or False: Asian Americans have the highest treatment utilization rate.
False. They have the lowest rate, at 3%.
This can be attributed to Asian Americans having limited engagement (Eg. language barrier, social/cultural stigma) and access to treatment (Choi et al., 2024).
Increased discrimination and anti-Asian hate during this period of time resulted in increased substance use among Asian Americans compared to White Americans.
What is the pandemic/quarantine?
Stress resulting from the public resurgence of anti-Asian sentiment can attribute the uptick in substance use during this time. It is important to note that the general stress of the pandemic can also be a factor in use and misuse (Yan et al., 2023).
This word juxtaposes the “model minority” myth within Asian American culture and is typically used to describe someone with an addiction.
What is a rebel?
While the model minority is someone who is "successful" in America and American culture, a rebel is considered as someone who takes advantage of the opportunities American presents them by participating in illegal behaviors, such as theft in order to survive, drug use, and addiction (Lee, 2019).