Substance abuse is a wide-ranging problem that affects millions of people around the world. This is an issue of particular concern for members of an oppressed class, in this case homeless women, as the authors (Wenzel et al, 2009) examine in the article. Nearly 50% of homeless women reported using drugs, and 32% of them reported heavy drinking in Los Angeles, compared to 16% and 17% for drug use and binge drinking among women occupying low-income homes (p. 16). When examining the nature of substance abuse among homeless women, the authors (2009) approach the issue from an ecological perspective. This method allows them to examine addicts in their own social context. They specifically target homeless women's social networks, defined in the article as natural groups within which members can influence each other through social comparisons, social sanctions and rewards, and information exchanges. (p. 17). The authors cite the important link between social networks and drug abuse and provide an example where association with employed people appears to be a protective factor against drug use, among African Americans in Baltimore (p. 17). This concept can work both ways, however, because a negative association, such as an abusive sexual partner, can be a risk factor, encouraging increased drug and alcohol use (p. 17). It is with this ecological and contextual approach that the authors carry out their study. The program included 445 randomly selected homeless women (p. 17). Women were considered eligible if they were at least 18 years old, had sex with a male partner in the past six months, spoke and understood English, and did not have significant cognitive impairments (p. 17). The women... middle of paper...... the men came from the women and not from the alters themselves. This could be problematic because responses could potentially be biased toward the respondent's expectations (p. 22). Even with the study's shortcomings, it highlights an important need to not only focus on the individual when it comes to substance abuse, but also to take a more holistic approach and address many different factors. The environment around the individual plays a significant role in whether he – or in this case, she – will abuse substances. Although the study focuses specifically on the effects of a woman's social network, it highlights the importance of positive ancillary support such as stable housing and better employment opportunities (p. 21). These supportive factors increase the chances of forming positive, healthier relationships, thereby reducing the risk of substance abuse..