The United States Federal Government should help with drug and alcohol abuse epidemic in adolescence in the American Indians and Alaska Natives (AIAN) community. According to Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) in 2011, there were over twenty million youth at the age of twelve and older, who were using alcohol and drugs. Also, eight percent of the population aged twelve or older were classified with substance dependence or abuse (SAMSHA, 2011). Heavy drinking has long been a public health concern for the American Indians and Alaska Natives (AIAN) community, with a high rate in substance abuse and alcohol. In turn, American Indians and Alaska Natives are experiencing a rapid decline in health and an “increase in
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With a population that only makes up 1.7% of the United States, the communities of American Indians and Alaska Natives are rather small compared to the other ethnic groups within the United States. Compared to other ethnic youth groups, alcoholism rates among youth American Indians and Alaska Natives communities are higher compared to racial/ethnic groups 7.4%, while 10.5% of black youths, 12.6% of Hispanic youths, 14.6% of white youths, 15.2% of American Indian or Alaska Native youths, and 17.5% of youths reporting two or more races were current drinkers. Many factors may contribute to the high rate of alcohol abuse such as cultural, environmental location and socioeconomic status. The cultural factor of the access to alcohol could contribute to parenting skills and norms, and the lack of discipline and inadequate …show more content…
Illicit drug use is the highest among Native Americans aged 12 years and older when compared with other races/ethnicities. American Indians and Alaska Natives are one of the highest in the category of drug induced-deaths at 12.1% the usage of drugs has steadily increase through out the years and studies have shown the need to intervene to halt these issues. Studies have shown that the youth who started to experiment with drug use at a young age of (10-13) were more likely to continue to use them after the initial experimentation. This leads to a vicious cycle of youth communities bound by drug use albeit, a drug community, the youth do still feel a sense of belonging. Its difficult for the young adolescents to find their own identity as a American, its even harder when they are from the Indian community. These factors are shown to be only a minor effect of the alcohol and drug abuse epidemic amongst American Indians and Alaska Natives youth. The main factor that still remains is that many of these families live below the poverty line.
With all the facts laid out and the need for the enhanced aid to the Native American and Alaska Indians communities by the Federal Government is much
With a population that only makes up 1.7% of the United States, the communities of American Indians and Alaska Natives are rather small compared to the other ethnic groups within the United States. Compared to other ethnic youth groups, alcoholism rates among youth American Indians and Alaska Natives communities are higher compared to racial/ethnic groups 7.4%, while 10.5% of black youths, 12.6% of Hispanic youths, 14.6% of white youths, 15.2% of American Indian or Alaska Native youths, and 17.5% of youths reporting two or more races were current drinkers. Many factors may contribute to the high rate of alcohol abuse such as cultural, environmental location and socioeconomic status. The cultural factor of the access to alcohol could contribute to parenting skills and norms, and the lack of discipline and inadequate …show more content…
Illicit drug use is the highest among Native Americans aged 12 years and older when compared with other races/ethnicities. American Indians and Alaska Natives are one of the highest in the category of drug induced-deaths at 12.1% the usage of drugs has steadily increase through out the years and studies have shown the need to intervene to halt these issues. Studies have shown that the youth who started to experiment with drug use at a young age of (10-13) were more likely to continue to use them after the initial experimentation. This leads to a vicious cycle of youth communities bound by drug use albeit, a drug community, the youth do still feel a sense of belonging. Its difficult for the young adolescents to find their own identity as a American, its even harder when they are from the Indian community. These factors are shown to be only a minor effect of the alcohol and drug abuse epidemic amongst American Indians and Alaska Natives youth. The main factor that still remains is that many of these families live below the poverty line.
With all the facts laid out and the need for the enhanced aid to the Native American and Alaska Indians communities by the Federal Government is much