“It's Bad Around Here Now”: Tobacco, Alcohol and Other Drug Use Among American Indians Living on a Rural Reservation

Abstract

Using data about members of a midwestern American Indian reservation in eight focus groups that were conducted like “talking circles,” the authors describe the participants’ (N = 49) views of the current use and abuse of tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs. Results indicate that the use of tobacco is pervasive; that the use of alcohol and other drugs, especially marijuana and oxycodone, are problems on this reservation because they are detrimental to health and well-being; and appropriate, available, and accessible treatment is scarce, nonexistent, or underfunded. Culturally sensitive substance abuse treatment and increased funding for treatment are major health issues for this population.

KEYWORDS:

• American Indian health and substance use
• indigenous peoples of North America
• qualitative research
• talking circles
• tobacco, alcohol

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to say Miigwetch (Thank You) to all tribal members for their willingness to share their stories and work with us, and in particular, the Research Associate and Observer (Chi-Miigwetch). This investigation was supported by the National Institutes of Health under Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award T32 DA007267 via the University of Michigan Substance Abuse Research Center (UMSARC). Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health or UMSARC. The American Legacy Foundation has provided financial support for the project via the University of Michigan Tobacco Research Network, and its contents do not necessarily represent the view of the Foundation, Foundation staff, or its Board of Directors (grant no. N005455).