Vulnerability, Social Networks, Sites, and Selling as Predictors of Drug use among Urban African American and Puerto Rican Emerging Adults

This paper reviews the results of research conducted with African American and Puerto Rican emerging adults between the ages of 18 and 25 whose life experiences increase vulnerability to drug use and pose some significant challenges in achieving milestones widely recognized as important in achieving adult status. Literature on drug use in adolescence suggests that personal vulnerability accounts for most experimental and problem drug use. Included in the vulnerability construct are religiosity, perceived risk, social influence, drug access, social norms, and social risk defined primarily as exposure to various forms of violence. This study shows that personal vulnerability explains only some of the variance in use and predicts variance differently with respect to different specific drugs and polydrug use. Further, it argues that additional contextual factors including social networks, party and club attendance, and drug selling activities, all typical of emerging adulthood and urban lifestyle, are also important factors in enhancing potential for accelerated drug use during this developmental period. Finally, it notes that the consequences of these activities have implications for further economic and social marginalization of urban, multiethnic low income emerging adults.