ALCOHOL USE IN NATIVE AMERICAN SOCIETIES

Alcohol use in Native American Societies

Alcohol use in Native American Societies

Introduction

Alcoholism is disease. This disease plagues Native American population in America to an astonishing degree. "alcoholic beverage sways Native Americans disproportionately; 1992-1994 age-adjusted alcoholism mortality rate for Native Americans is roughly 6 times 1993 rate for US population as entire" Philip A. May states in his term paper "The Epidemiology of alcoholic beverage Abuse": "That alcoholism is leading wellbeing problem among Indians is probably most popular and widespread declaration about alcoholic beverageic beverage and Indians that one hears..." As one would anticipate this is raising concern and interest amidst investigators, statisticians, anthropologists and sociologists. They are investigating possible catalysts of this epidemic.

Discussion

Whenever non-communicable disease becomes drastically widespread among population it raises questions among researchers. This issue is compounded by fact that Native American population is plagued by numerous alcohol-related problems that are having extreme, adverse effects upon its people.

Looking first at historical aspects of this problem can lend great insight into understanding how to resolve issue. Furthermore, researchers strive to calculate current patterns of alcohol abuse among American Indians, along with resulting social and psychological problems. Alcoholism among Native Americans mainly afflicts large proportion of Native American adolescents who drink to excess. Studying teenage alcohol and substance misuse of American Indians can be very useful. The reason for this is that if causes can be isolated at young age then perhaps treatment can be administered to cure this ill that plagues Native American population. The contradictory likeness of their heritage that has been, and still is, perpetuated all through history is only farther tarnished by this epidemic.

May states in his term paper that prior to colonization by Europeans, Native Americans were almost completely unaware of existence, let alone effects, of alcohol. They had not been subject to its harmful effects on their bodies, minds, or population as whole. With them, Anglo-Saxon settlers brought drink that would eventually change culture. "annals may have thus sown kernels for incident of alcohol misuse in North American indigenous populations."

Perhaps with our deeper understanding of historical roots of this problem, researchers can address issue and help culture get back on its feet. Native Americans engage in problematic drinking as result of naïveté about alcohol. Acknowledging that American Indians are engaging in matter misuse is imperative. Understanding substance abuse, as with any problem, is one of primary ways to begin to cure it.

As result, one is called to look at fact that "North American natives in early days of European contact had no role models for drinking behavior, nor did they have mechanisms for dealing with negative consequences of drinking." To Native Americans, excess drinking was merely an abstraction because they had no frame of reference. With no basis for comparison, cultural pattern erupted in which Indian began consuming alcohol in unhealthy, detrimental quantities.

As mentioned previously, alcohol was novel drink to inexperienced drinkers of Native American population during colonial period. Alcohol was really instrumental in colonization ...