Alcoholism and Native Americans
A recent CSNBC post cites research conducted by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in August of 2008. According to the research, 12 percent of deaths among Native Americans and Alaska Natives are alcohol-related -”more than three times the percentage in the general population”.
“11.7 percent of deaths among Native Americans and Alaska Natives between 2001 and 2005 were alcohol-related, compared with 3.3 percent for the U.S. as a whole.” The odds are staggering in comparison. Alcoholic deaths in both cases stem from the following, in order of most prevalent to least:
- Traffic accidents
- Cirrhosis of the liver
- Homicide committed under the influence of alcohol
- Suicide
- Injuries in falls
Although the rate of deaths and illnesses reported as a result of alcohol use are high, they remain an underestimation of the true level of tragedy caused by alcohol in the Native American community. Alcohol has a part in a variety of other diseases that the CDC does not take into consideration such as tuberculosis, pneumonia, and colon cancer. Including all possible linkages between alcohol and disease would have resulted in a web of statistics too complex for even the most highly skilled quantitative analyst to grapple with.
Stereotypes perpetuate the myth that all Native Americans abuse alcohol. On the contrary, two-thirds of Native Americans remain unharmed -at least on paper -by alcohol. Aligned with the stereotype, though, is the one third of Native Americans who suffer from alcohol-related deaths. Geographically, Native Americans from the Northern Plains suffer from the highest rate of alcohol-related deaths. The area is destitute and rural. Since alcohol is an integral part of the tribal culture -combined with a lack of alternative ways in which to spend time and invest energy -the result is a culmination of an alcohol-driven disaster. Whether or not the spike in alcohol-related deaths is induced by the perception around alcohol, or a byproduct of the environment, remains to be seen.
According to MSNBC’s article on the subject, experts recommend “culturally appropriate clinical interventions” to reducing excessive drinking and better integration between tribal health care centers and tribal courts, which often deal with alcohol-related crimes. Donovan Antelope, a spokesman for the Northern Arapaho Tribe, said alcoholism has been a problem for more than a century with many Indian populations. If we take away one positive thing from this research, let it be the increased awareness that alcoholism is a disease with a genetic component. A predisposition toward alcoholism is passed down from generation to generation within Native American tribes, just as alcoholism can be passed down among Caucasians living in the Northeast. It is a disease that does not discriminate. It is influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. Let the Native Americans remind us that genetic research on alcoholism is important, and could lead to helpful innovations from which all ethnicities can benefit.
