Study: Higher Tobacco Use for American Indian Students

Reuters ^ | 11/6/03

[Tumbleweed_Connection]

ATLANTA (Reuters) - High schoolers at American Indian schools have higher rates of smoking and drug use than other U.S. students, underscoring a need for more health education and counseling programs in their communities, federal health officials said on Thursday.

A U.S. study conducted in 2001 found that 88 percent of high-school pupils at schools funded by the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs have smoked, compared with 64 percent of high schoolers nationwide.

The study, published by the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, was based on surveys of 5,654 high-school students at schools that are primarily located on Indian reservations.

Alcohol use was reported by 81 percent of the American Indian students, up slightly from 78 percent of ninth- to 12-graders nationwide.

About 77 percent of the American Indian students said they had used marijuana, compared with 42 percent of high-school students nationwide. The cocaine usage rate was 21 percent for Indian students, compared with 9 percent for high schoolers nationwide.

"It is alarming," lead author Lana Shaughnessy of the Bureau of Indian Affairs said of the report's findings. She said higher levels of poverty and social isolation could explain the increased alcohol and drug usage among American Indian students.

Shaughnessy added that the study shows a need to implement drug and alcohol prevention programs at an early age.

"If students are using alcohol (and other substances) at such high percentages by the time they are in ninth grade, we need to look at what's going on in third and fourth grade," she said.

[Tumbleweed_Connection]

I wonder what this study cost us?

[Judith Anne]

And read, "more education" as "more funding," to protect these helpless kids stay away from tobacco...

[conserv13]

Really! I thought tobacco use among American Indians would be 100%!

[SheLion]

For HEAVEN'S sake! They must be p*ssed off because the Indians are selling tax free cigarettes. Boy or boy..........they just can't let anyone rest, can they?

They would probably rather see the Indian children on Estacy or Oxycontin or speed. What a bunch of jerks!

[SheLion]

Yep! They are going after the American Indians now.............they must have SOMETHING in their crawl! The pukes!

[SheLion]

And read, "more education" as "more funding," to protect these helpless kids stay away from tobacco...?

This is a bunch of BS. Now they are singling out the American Indians? This is really getting way over the top.

You can't tell me that this isn't politically motivated! Someone has it IN for the Indians in American. You can COUNT on it!

[metesky]

The Indians have done so well under our benevolent governments guidance. (/sarcasm)

This is one of the main resons I was gung-ho for the Indian casino that just got shot down in our recent Maine election.

Financial independance would be a real gift for these folks.

[Chad Fairbanks]

A U.S. study conducted in 2001 found that 88 percent of high-school pupils at schools funded by the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs

The key phrase is in bold. You think public schools are bad, they are pikers compared to BIA-run schools...

[Chad Fairbanks]

and why, exactly, would you think that?

[sharkhawk]

Uh, aren't the Indians the ones who introduced the White man to tobacco and weed? Can't they say this is part of their religious ceremonies?

[Conspiracy Guy]

I'm Irish, Cherokee, and English. I can't stop drinking, smoke too much, and have bad teeth.

[conserv13]

Sorry, I guess it was a bad joke. You know, peace pipes?

[Chad Fairbanks]

It was commonly used for ceremonial and medicinal purposes, though normally it wasn't straight tobacco - tobacco was but one ingredient...

Of course, once we mentioned that (the medicinal part), the europeans took it a lot farther and began activily cultivating and selling it... by 1760, P. Lorillard had established his company and is now the oldest tobacco company around.

We didn't use it day in and day out - not like it's used today...

[Chad Fairbanks]

OK, just asking. Although, again, Tobacco was not always the main ingredient in the peace pipe mixture. Often, tobacco was not even used at all, more often it was a mixture of other plants and tree barks ;0)

SOmetimes it was used, yes, but not always.

[Chad Fairbanks]

Psssst... just dont' tell anyone that the TObacco plant is in the same family as Potatoes and Pepper, or we'll never hear the end of it!

[DumpsterDiver]

I'm Irish, Cherokee, and English. I can't stop drinking, smoke too much, and have bad teeth.

Hang in there and remember to write your congressman. Maybe he can get the Help Fix Flurry Act of 2003 passed!

"We're from the government and we're here to help you."

:^)

[Conspiracy Guy]

But I like drinking and smoking too much and I don't really have bad teeth. Maybe I'll just fleece the gummit.

[DumpsterDiver]

Maybe I'll just fleece the gummit.

Atta boy, now you're catchin' on.

[Great Dane]

I wonder what this study cost us? And who did the study....... a Glantz kind of person no doubt.

[Conspiracy Guy]

But wouldn't I be in turn fleecing myself or just gettin my piece of the pie.