Alcoholism Among Native Americans

One of the biggest concerns in the Native American community today is the overwhelming presence of alcoholism. I was first informed of this by an old friend that I served with in the Marine Corps. He had grown up on a reservation, and had subsequently seen the horrors of this alcohol abuse firsthand. Growing up Irish- American, I felt a strong empathy for this problem, and therefore felt it would be an appropriate topic for …

…well as a few that link much of this substance abuse to the high suicide rate among Native Americans. Once again, it was the teens who were suffering the most as a result. The only solution of course, like any culture is better parenting as well as more of an emphasis on these societal patterns in formal schooling. Through a good home life and proper education, many children can be spared of these self-destructive traits.