KNOWLEDGE AND USE OF ALCOHOL AND OTHER DRUGS AMONG VIETNAMESE-SPEAKING MIGRANTS

A survey of the Vietnamese community in Sydney was conducted in 1992 t o determine whether it was at a higher or lower risk of drug-related h arm than the general community. Data was collected on knowledge, attit udes and behaviour associated with alcohol and other drug use and comp ared with overall NSW figures. The sample of 341 Vietnamese-speakers a ged 15-65 years was obtained by face-to-face interviews conducted in p rivate households using a cluster sampling technique. Of the sample, 7 2% indicated they did not speak English well or at all. Recognition of tobacco and alcohol as drugs and the specific health and social probl ems associated with use was much lower among the Vietnamese-speakers t han the general community. Compared with the general community (1991 N CADA Household Survey), reported use of tobacco on the day of the surv ey among Vietnamese-speakers was higher among men (37% versus 26%) but much lower among women (4% versus 22%). Reported use of other drugs s uch as alcohol, analgesics, minor tranquillizers and illicit drugs was lower than in the general community. It is recommended that the low l evel of knowledge of the health and social problems associated with to bacco and alcohol in particular should be addressed by community-based education programmes.