Alcohol Abuse Policy

REDUCING THE FETAL ALCOHOL SYNDROME RATE AMONG NATIVE-AMERICAN POPULATIONS: AN ASSESSMENT OF PUBLIC LAW 100-713

The infant mortality rate for Native-Americans is elevated in comparison to that for European-Americans (Williams & Collins, 1995, p. 355). One of the contributing factors is alcohol abuse among pregnant Native-American women. Young Native-Americans are characterized by higher levels of alcohol consumption than any other racial or ethnic population group in the United States.

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) affects a much higher proportion of Native-American babies (six-times more than the general population) because of higher rates of maternal alcoholism (Kelley, 1992, p. 26). Because almost 20 percent of some Native-American newborns are afflicted with FAS, massive alcohol education and prevention efforts have been mounted in Native-American communities. Some tribal programs have had more success than governmental programs in reducing prenatal drinking among Native-American pregnant women, but acceptance of drinking in Native-American communities has limited their effectiveness.

Public Law 100-713, Amendments to the Indian Health Care Improvement Act, requires the Indian Health Service (IHS) to document and achieve an FAS incidence rate among Native-American populations of one per 1,000 live births or less. This requirement is consistent with the National Health Objectives for the Year 2000, as well as the objectives of the Indian Health Servi

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ved by the SIHB and the SIAP is one of the most diverse in the country with regard to tribal affiliation. Assessment of Policy In programs and policies dealing with physical health and alcoholism, it is paramount that attention be paid to the underlying values of Native-American clients if rehabilitation goals are to be met (Kelley, 1992, p. 23). The traditional Alcoholics Anonymous approach has proved to be incompatible with several strongly held Native-American traditional values (Kelley, 1992, p. 26). Among these traditional values are not admitting personal weakness, not making public confessions, and not drawing attention to oneself. Further, marginally literate Native-Americans, whose culture relies on songs, stories, and legends for guidance, have been unwilling and often unable to make use of the mass of printed materials offered by Alcoholics Anonymous (Grobsmith, 1989, pp. 285-198). Through its multi-modal and social orientation, SIAP has met with better success than similarly structured dominant culture programs, in part because its emphasis is on Native-American culture and values (Kelley, 1992, p. 27). Elements such as equality, lack of authoritative leadership, and the freedom to attend or leave have been i

Category: Medical - A