In April, the Indian Health Service observes Alcohol Awareness Month to increase awareness and understanding of the causes and treatment of one of the nation’s top public health problems: alcoholism. This month allows communities to focus on spreading awareness and reducing the stigma associated with alcohol addiction. It also highlights the need for education on the dangers of unsafe alcohol consumption.
Alcohol use can have long-term and devastating effects on individuals, families and communities. The IHS Division of Behavioral Health provides resources to tribal and urban Indian communities in the form of grants, technical assistance, education, and webinars. In Fiscal Years 2022 and 2023, the IHS issued funding awards for the following programs:
- IHS Substance Abuse, Prevention, Treatment and Aftercare
- IHS Community Opioid Intervention Pilot Project
- IHS Preventing Alcohol Related Death through Social Detoxification
- IHS Youth Aftercare Program
The grant initiatives aim to implement evidence-based and practice-based models for substance use prevention, intervention, treatment, and aftercare services; expand and increase access to substance use disorder treatment; promote culturally-appropriate services; promote family-oriented, culturally-responsive practices for individuals, families, and communities impacted by alcohol and substance use; and prevent alcohol-related deaths.
Statistics from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health help identify the extent of substance use and mental illness among different subgroups, including American Indian and Alaska Native populations.
Alcohol use among American Indians and Alaska Natives aged 12 or older:
- 79.6% reported they drank alcohol at some point in their lifetime
- 56.5% reported they drank alcohol in the past year
- 37.6% reported they drank alcohol in the past month
Prevalence of binge drinking and heavy alcohol use among American Indians and Alaska Natives aged 12 or older:
- 21.2% reported binge drinking in the past month, which is defined as consuming five or more drinks on an occasion for men or four or more drinks on an occasion for women
- 7.2% reported heavy alcohol use in the past month, which is defined as binge drinking on five or more days in the past 30 days
The prevalence of alcohol use in the past year and month are lower for the American Indian and Alaska Native population compared to the general U.S. population, while binge drinking remains similar across other races at around 21%. However, heavy alcohol use in the past month is reported as higher for the American Indian and Alaska Native population compared to the total U.S. population. Mortality and morbidity related to alcohol remain significantly higher for the American Indian and Alaska Native population. Since 2020, increases in alcohol use, binge drinking and heavy drinking have been reported across all races. This is a possible result of the COVID-19 pandemic, which increased isolation, reduced access to treatment and increased mental distress.
Statistics report that 21.5% of all Americans binge drink. Binge drinking is a severe public health problem and is preventable. It is the most common and costly pattern of excessive alcohol use in the U.S. Excessive alcohol use accounts for an estimated one in five deaths among adults aged 20-49 years.
The Indian Health Service is committed to developing support strategies to assist American Indian and Alaska Native communities in addressing alcohol and substance abuse.
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