NCJ Number
235724
Date Published
October 2010
Length
2 pages
Annotation
After reviewing the prevalence of drug abuse among Native-American populations, this paper describes the strategy used by the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) in addressing this problem.
Abstract
According to the 2009 National Survey on Drug Abuse and Health, 18.3 percent of American Indians/Alaskan Natives age 12 or older are current users of illicit drugs. This means they used illicit drugs within 30 days prior to responding to the survey. Native-American and Alaskan-Native populations also showed high percentages of lifetime (64.8 percent) and past-year (27.1 percent) illicit drug use. In addition, they lead all other ethnic groups in past-30-day misuse of prescription-type drugs. In response to this evidence of the high prevalence of drug abuse among Native-American populations, the ONDCP has initiated and supported programs and policies tailored to Indian Country and designed to assist Tribal leaders in using a balanced drug policy of prevention, treatment, recovery support, and law enforcement. One component of this effort is the ONDCP's National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign ("the Campaign"). This program researches, develops, and delivers relevant and appropriate anti-drug messages to various target populations. The Campaign has partnered with the National Congress of American Indians, the Department of the Interior, and Department of Health and Human Services, and the Partnership for a Drug-Free America in developing a public awareness advertising campaign that focuses on methamphetamine use among Native-American populations. This campaign, which was launched in early 2008 and is continuing at the time of this publication (2010), emphasizes Native-American culture and pride through print, radio, and television ads.