ABSTRACT
Today the rate of alcohol-related deaths for Native Americans in the United States is seven times that of the general population. For those Native American youths between the ages of fifteen and twenty-four, the alcohol-related death rate is more than twelve times that of the comparable general population, while for those Native Americans between the ages of twenty-five and thirty-four, the rate is thirteen times greater. It is not uncommon for Native communities to experience “cluster suicides” related to alcohol and other substance abuse. Substance abuse among Native Americans, the rate of which is twice that of the general population, is a leading contributor to health problems (Grim, 2002).
