Puerto Rican and Irish American Alcohol Consumption: A Comparative Study

Abstract

This article presents data from a large-scale comparative study of mainland Puerto Rican and Irish American drinking behavior. In general Irish Americans had higher rates of alcohol consumption than Puerto Rican. More specifically, Irish Americans were less likely than Puerto Ricans to be designated either as lifetime or current abstainers. Irish American also reported that they drank more frequently and had been intoxicated more often than Puerto Ricans in the past year. Irish Americans also reported having their initial experience with alcohol at an earlier age than their Puerto Rican counterparts.

Key Words:

• Puerto Rican
• Hispanic
• Irish
• Irish American