The Insanity of Alcohol: Social Problems in Canadian First Nations Communities

Marilyn Mardiros is an associate professor of health sciences at the
University of Ottawa.

The Government of Canada has focused on the problem of alcohol and drug
abuse in First Nations communities rather than on the underlying causes
of that problem. Hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent, yet
the problem continues to grow. The authors of this book, which is based
on 15 years of research and involvement with aboriginal communities and
government agencies, propose a government-funded strategy that empowers
aboriginal communities to focus directly on alcohol and drug abuse as
the initial step in reducing other social problems. The expressed aims
of the book are to examine the role that alcoholism plays in the
generation of social problems, to identify the implications for public
policy and intervention, and to review past effectiveness and future
potential of programs aimed at reducing rates of alcoholism.

Unfortunately, the authors do not succeed in achieving their admirable
objectives. Their book is neither scholarly nor suitable for a general
audience. They provide two perspectives on the nature of the problem
(alcohol as a primary social problem and alcoholism as a symptom of poor
mental health), yet their review of the literature and fieldwork is
limited and contributes little to our understanding of these
perspectives. Throughout the book generalizations abound and conclusions
are made without supporting data. Although the authors agree with
aboriginal people that a more participatory community-based approach to
the problem is needed, they do not integrate their support into their
discussion and conclusions.