According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 12 percent of deaths were related to alcohol abuse for American Indians and Alaskan Natives during the timeframe from 2001 and 2005. This news is particularly distressing, since the national average of alcohol-related deaths across the country is about three percent.
They were able to research the nature of the deaths by looking at death certificates among the American Indian and Alaskan Native populations. The CDC’s report indicated that about 25 percent of the deaths resulted from alcoholic liver disease and car accidents. It was also reported that more than half of the deaths were among men.
Such a high death rate is not unstoppable – changes in alcohol consumption and related-behaviors, such as reducing the number of people who drink under the influence, could make significant positive progress. The Associated Press also reported that the CDC sited alcohol interventions as one way to address the issue.
“The study recommends ‘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.”
