Reflecting on the many Western films of my youth, one clearly remembers Native Americans scalping Euro-Americans or getting drunk so they couldn't function physically and/or mentally. . This alcohol abuse, and in general the acceptance of drunken behavior beyond recollection of actions or knowledge of one's surroundings, was widely accepted as the norm by Euro-Americans outside of the Native American world. and far from barren, treeless reserves. When it comes to alcohol and drug use, substance dependence is one of the leading sources of health problems faced by Native Americans. As the chart below shows, there is a disparity in abuse. How did this drug addiction become an integral part of Native American society? The myth of wild, drunken “Indians” on the loose more than likely fostered the ethereal beliefs surrounding drug addiction. Although in reality, it was the abrupt changes that Euro-Americans forcibly imposed on the Native Americans by taking their land, killing their food source, the buffalo, and subjecting them to compulsory acceptance of the "ways of the white man” through relocation, re-education. and pogroms. These factors, along with other variables such as non-medical prescription drug abuse, have fueled substance abuse among Native American tribes, as the demographic data below shows. As a result, it can also be difficult for anyone to meet worthy expectations, especially in the modern world. , where most members of American society have experimented with alcohol and drugs. Many Native Americans, however, face additional perils that increase their risk of alcohol and substance abuse; For example; cultural conflict, post-traumatic stress... middle of document ......tance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality accessed April 20, 2014 http://www.samhsa.gov /data/ nsduh/2k10MH_Findings/gifs/Fig4-6.gifSubstance use is prevalent among Native American, white, and mixed-race youth. (November 8, 2011) JAMA Accessed April 18, 2014 http://archpsyc.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1107330 Substance Use Among American Indian or Alaska Native Adults (June 24, 2010). National Survey on Drug Use and Health Report, accessed April 19, 2014 at http://www.samhsa.gov/data/2k10/182/AmericanIndian.htmThe Wellbriety Movement Partners; White Bison, Inc. (2014) Retrieved April 20, 2014 from http://whitebison.org/index.php Winkel, Bethany. Alcohol Abuse Among Native Americans (December 2010) Accessed April 17, 2014 from http://www.treatmentsolutions.com/alcohol-abuse-among-native-americans/