ITEMS of INTEREST

with contributions from John A. Zukowski, Rachel Zoll

"Faith-based drug treatment programs dominate the addiction treatment field in Puerto Rico, according to a brief article published in The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). Helena Hansen of Yale University School of Medicine writes that addictions are a significant problem in Puerto Rico, which has been identified as the Caribbean epicenter of the illicit cocaine and heroin trade between Latin America and the US. A 1998 household-based survey of Puerto Rican adults aged 15 to 64 years found that 5.6 percent of the population was in need of substance abuse treatment....

"The Puerto Rican legislature voted to define drug dependence as a spiritual and social problem, which reflects the high prevalence of faith-based programs for addiction treatment. As of 1998, 75 percent of all state-registered drug treatment programs in Puerto Rico were faith-based programs. The convergence of faith-based initiatives and drug treatment facilities has a number of causes. Puerto Rico has high unemployment; much of the illicit drug trade, such as sex work, is related to economic pressures. Additionally, over the past few decades, evangelical Protestant churches have risen to prominence. One third of all Puerto Ricans identify themselves as Protestant....

"Puerto Rican faith-based treatment programs are largely founded by ex-addicts who mirror mainland US Christian treatment models. These ministries offer peer and pastoral counseling, prayer, and Bible study as methods toward recovery. One review of ongoing drug abuse studies evaluating the interaction of social support systems with drug addiction among Hispanics found that involvement with religious institutions had a significant impact on their drug-using behavior."

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