Recency of Immigration and Immigrant Alcohol and Tobacco Use

Sam S Kim, Arizona State University

Patterns of alcohol and tobacco use, abuse and dependence are likely to differ as a function of life-course variations such as immigrant status. In this study, I use nationally-representative data to assess patterns of alcohol and tobacco use among immigrants. I employ hierarchical logistic regression to explore the variations in alcohol and tobacco use among immigrants by recency of immigration. Findings indicate that alcohol and tobacco use among foreign-born immigrants significantly vary by racial and ethnic backgrounds. Notably, recency of immigration had the most significant effect on Hispanic immigrants. I discuss the implications of these findings regarding the use of alcohol and tobacco among immigrants.