Why are substances like alcohol and drugs abused?
Contact with Europeans and European culture has harmed the traditional ways
of life of First Nations, Inuit and Métis. This damage includes the loss of
homelands, traditions, languages and cultures over many generations, which in
turn has damaged the overall health of Aboriginal communities, families and
people.
Some Aboriginal communities don’t have more substance abuse problems than the
rest of Canadians, but others do. Many Aboriginal families have to live and
deal with poverty, isolation and unemployment in their communities. Some people
abuse alcohol, tobacco, sniffing and prescription drugs as a way to deal with
difficult life conditions.
There are also very personal
reasons why someone might abuse alcohol and drugs or other substances, including:
- to escape from pain
- a family history of substance
abuse
- child abuse
- the loss of a relative
or friend
- peer pressure.
What can drinking, doing drugs and sniffing do to your health?
Abusing alcohol, drugs
and other substances can cause physical, emotional, spiritual and mental problems.
Depending on what is being abused, how often and how much, it can also:
- cloud your thinking and
coordination
- increase risky and violent
behavior
- cause problems within
a family
- cause permanent damage
to a developing baby during pregnancy. There is no known amount of alcohol
that is safe to drink during pregnancy.
Aboriginal Peoples in Canada
have some of the most serious health problems because of substance abuse. These
include:
- death from alcohol abuse
- depression and other
illnesses that may be caused by illegal drugs and substance abuse
- cancer and other serious
health issues as a result of the non-traditional use of tobacco
- brain damage from sniffing
- effects of the abuse
of prescription drugs
- HIV, specifically from
the use of injection drugs.
How can problems with alcohol and other drugs be fixed?
The health of Aboriginal
communities, families and peoples can be improved through a mixture of physical,
emotional, spiritual and mental healing. For some people, this involves learning
about their cultural
traditions and values, while for others it may involve seeing a counselor
outside their community. Some people just decide on their own that they need
to change, and they develop their own methods. Each person has their own way
of healing.
Some Aboriginal communities
have taken action against substance abuse problems by developing programs and
policies that actively discourage substance abuse. These actions recognize that
healthy communities are made up of healthy people. For example, some communities
restrict the sale of alcohol, and other communities plan cultural activity nights
(for example, games, crafts and community meals) to offer people something to
do that doesn’t involve using alcohol or drugs.
Where can I get more information?
Aboriginal
Healing Foundation
Addictions Foundation of
Manitoba
Alberta Alcohol and
Drug Abuse Commission
Canadian
Centre on Substance Abuse
National
Native Addictions Partnership Foundation
The
Nechi Training, Research & Health Promotions Institute
What
is the Medicine Wheel? – Canadian
Health Network
References
Dell, C. and T. Beauchamp Youth Volatile Solvent Abuse
(VSA) FAQ. Ottawa: Canadian
Centre on Substance Abuse; 2006.
Single, E., L. Robson, and K. Scott Morbidity and
Mortality Related to Alcohol, Tobacco and Illicit Drug Use Among Indigenous
People in Canada.
Ottawa: Canadian Centre on Substance
Abuse; 1997
Wardman, D., N. Kahn and N. el-Guabely (2002). “Prescription
medication use among an Aboriginal population accessing addiction treatment.”
The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry. Vol. 47, No. 4. pp. 355-360
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