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Partnership for a Drug Free America
Office of National Drug Control Policy
U.S Department of the Interior
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Meth in Indian Country Facts and Statistics
Highest National Use Rates
Nationally Native Americans (American Indians/Alaskan Natives and Native Hawaiians) Have The Highest Rates Of Methamphetamine Abuse. In studies of “past year methamphetamine use” Native communities have the highest use rates, 1.7% for American Indians/Alaskan Natives and 2.2% for Native Hawaiians. This rate is substantially higher than other ethnicities: whites (0.7%), Hispanics (0.5%), Asians (0.2%) and African-Americans (0.1%) (SAMHSA).
Reservation and Rural Native Communities Meth Abuse Rates Have Been Seen As High As 30%. In May 2006, the White Mountain Apache Tribe in Arizona testified in front of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee that 30% of their Tribal employees recently tested positive for meth use (Donna Vigil in Senate testimony). This is particularly disturbing as Tribal empolyees are often the community leaders, and because of testing limitations, this number is actually believed to be an underestimate of use.
Meth Causes Dramatic Increases in Violent Crime, Suicide, and Child Neglect74% Of Tribal Police Forces Rank Meth as Greatest Drug Threat. The Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Law Enforcement Services surveyed Tribes with whom they work closely on law enforcement (surveys were sent to 150 Tribal law enforcement agencies, 96 responded) [the “BIA Law Enforcement Study”]. 74% of Tribes indicated that meth is the drug that poses the greatest threat to their community.
40% Of Violent Crime Attributable to Meth. An informal survey of the seven FBI offices located primarily in Indian Country estimated that approximately 40-50% of violent crime cases investigated in Indian Country involve meth in some capacity. This is particularly disconcerting since Indian Country already experiences a violent crime rate 2 ½ times the general population (Bureau of Justice Statistics).
64% Of Tribal Police Indicate An Increase In Domestic Violence And Assault/Battery. 64% of the BIA Study respondents indicated increases in domestic violence and assault/battery as a result of increases in methamphetamines in their community.
80-85% Of The Indian Families In Child Welfare Systems Are Estimated To Have Drug Or Alcohol Abuse Issues. The National Indian Child Welfare Association (NICWA) estimates that 80-85% of the Indian families in child welfare systems have drug or alcohol abuse issues. The recent increase in child related meth cases in Indian Country, however, seems to be in child neglect cases rather than child abuse.
Nationwide 48% of Tribal law enforcement respondents in the BIA Law Enforcement Survey reported an increase in child neglect/abuse cases due to recent increases in meth use.
For example, the Yavapai-Apache Nation in Arizona estimates that approximately 90% of their open child welfare cases are related to methamphetamine. In California, the California Indian Legal Services (CILS) estimates nearly every single case they work with in which an Indian child is taken from their home, one or both of the parents is using methamphetamine, or the baby itself was born exposed to methamphetamine.
Limited Health Care/Meth Treatment Resources69% Of Tribal Respondents in the BIA Study Indicated That They Had No Tribal Sponsored Meth Rehab Centers. There are very limited treatment resources or facilities available in Indian Country. Therefore when law enforcement or intervention efforts increase, there is often insufficient treatment resources to absorb or address the increase in individuals wishing to obtain assistance.
Indian Health Services (IHS) are Funded at Less Than 60% of the Level Needed To Provide Basic Adequate Health Care Services. Limited health and treatment resources are already overtaxed in Indian Country. Meth treatment costs substantially more than most other addiction treatments and last substantially longer, often over a year.
Annual Meth Treatment Dollars Depleted By March. Addiction treatment in Indian Country is often outsourced, utilizing the annual mental health dollars provided to tribes through an Indian Health Services formula. Even without methamphetamine in a community, these dollars are usually insufficient to meet the treatment and mental health needs of a community. For communities dealing with meth, these allocations are grossly inadequate. Most communities are running out of their annual treatment and mental health funds just a few months into the year, leaving them unable to provide any kind of treatment to anyone, including such pressing needs as teen suicide mental health assistance, for the entire remainder of the year. For example, last year the IHS Portland Area Office spent 90% of its behavioral health budget on treating meth.
Indian Country Targeted By International Meth Dealers
Spread of Addiction on Indian Reservations Fueled by Mexican Drug Cartels. Mexican drug cartels are partially responsible for the recent surge in meth use in Indian Country. These drug cartels have targeted reservation communities because of the rural terrain, history of community addiction, and limited law enforcement resources. It is now estimated that over 70% of meth in the United States is being imported, primarily from Mexico.
National Congress of American Indians (NCAI)
1301 Connecticut Ave NW, Suite 200, Washington D.C. 20036
Phone: (202) 466-7767, Fax: (202) 466-7797
