Drinking culture and alcohol consumption in Australia

Aborigine Alcoholism

Any substance or behavior that is not done in some sort of balance or harmonic alliance with nature is sure to cause problems within any group or groups of people. The introduction of alcohol into the Australian indigenous populations has caused many health problems and issues that warrant further discussion. The purpose of this essay is to discuss alcoholism as it relates to the aboriginal people of Australia. This essay will examine the disease process and its symptoms and outcomes. The essay will then look at how the contributing factors of this disease are affecting this group of people. The essay will conclude with ideas on the implications of alcoholism on that community and the healthcare providers that work with this group.

Disease Process

Alcohol is a staple in the culture and social practices of many humans around the world. The inebriation rituals that were prominent during the evolution of our species has ingrained within all of us a need to alter our consciousness and explore different areas of our mind. Alcohol has been introduced into society to perform this ritual, but in many cases the abuse and overuse of this drug leads to damaging consequences and troubling health problems.

According to the National Health and Medical Research Council in Australia, "Consumption of alcohol has both immediate and cumulative effects. Alcohol-related harm in individuals arises not only from the quantity of alcohol consumed but also from a complex The interaction between their sex, body size and composition, age, experience of drinking, genetics, nutrition, individual metabolism, and social factors." Realizing the many variable that incorporate alcoholism, it is helpful to apply these discriminating factors when discussing the problems of alcohol on unique populations such as the aborigines.

Alcoholism creates a plethora of health problems for those who choose to abuse it regardless of their race or culture. This includes liver diseases, mental health conditions, obesity and cardiovascular problems. The dependence on this drug causes the user to seek it out to remedy issues that should be solved in a more holistic manner, complicating the problem and inspiring addiction.

Contributing Factors

Alcoholism within the aborigine population is a mix of several different factors that exacerbate the normal intake of alcoholic beverages. According to Health Info.net, "Indigenous people are less likely to drink alcohol (abstain) than non-Indigenous people. The 2012-2013 AATSIHS found 23% of Indigenous people had never consumed alcohol or had not done so for more than 12 months Abstinence was 1.6 times more common among Indigenous peoples than non-Indigenous people; however the difference in abstinence is mostly due to those Indigenous people who did drink and have given up."

Even though these native people aren't more likely to become alcoholics, the problem is unique in its own way. Indigenous people are not socially conditioned like the other peoples of Australia creating special circumstances for healthcare providers attempting to help those with this particular affliction. The intensity in which the native people drink is aligned with their more primitive nature that does not relate well with temperance and balance. This savage attitude creates the worse scenario when dealing with alcoholic aborigines.

Woods (2011) wrote "When alcohol was first given to aboriginal people they were never taught how to drink. They just saw the white man drink, and the white man acted crazy and so they did the same. And with alcohol it's just got worse. The Australian government banned alcohol from remote aboriginal communities in 2007 as part of a range of draconian measures to tackle alcoholism, child abuse and domestic violence."