(Siegel, Welsh, Senna p. 538) Drug use by young minority-group members has been tied to factors such as racial prejudice, low self-esteem, poor socioeconomic status, and the stress of living in a harsh urban environment. The association between drug use, race, and poverty has been linked to the high level of mistrust and defiance found in lower seriocomic areas. .
To also explain as to why youth begin using drugs is the idea of to fit in and belong, or peer pressure. Children want others to like them. Sometimes youth use alcohol, tobacco, and/or drugs to feel like they fit in, to overcome anxiety, to alter their personality, and to give themselves the courage to do things that they would not normally do sober. (www.helpthemknow.com) Research shows that adolescent drug abuse is highly correlated with the behavior of best friends, especially when parental supervision is weak. Youths in inner-city areas where feelings of alienation run high often come in contact with drug users who teach them that rugs provide an answer to their feelings of inadequacy and stress. Research shows that a youth's association with friends who are substance abusers increases the probability of drug use. The relationship is reciprocal: Adolescent substance abusers seek friends who engage in these behaviors, and associating with drug abusers leads to increased levels of drug abuse. Peer networks may be the most significant influence on long-term substance abuse. (Siegel, Welsh, Senna p. 310).
Poor family life and genetic factors also play a role as to why youth use drugs. Studies have found that the majority of drug users have had an unhappy childhood, which included harsh punishment and parental neglect. The association between drug abuse and family quality may involve both racial and gender differences: females and whites who were abused as children are more likely to have alcohol and drug arrests as adults; abuse was less likely to affect drug use in males and African-Americans.