NCJ Number
189793
Date Published
2001
Length
33 pages
Annotation
This article inquires into the prevention of alcohol and drug abuse in American Indian and Alaska Native communities.
Abstract
This inquiry into the broad-based topic of prevention as a tool for health promotion and maintenance is restricted to substance use and misuse in large part because it is the area in which most of the research and development has occurred because of its high incidence and prevalence among American Indians and Alaska Natives. The article discusses demographic characteristics of American Indians and Alaska Natives, including tribal-specific definitions, Federal Government attempts at a definition, interaction and validation styles, and demographic patterns. An overview of substance abuse prevention among these two populations discusses rates and patterns of substance use, etiology and correlates of use, and efforts at prevention. Some prevention efforts have included bicultural competence training, incorporation of peer counselors into the program, and participation by families and communities. References