influence of alchocol on indigeous people

influence of alchocol on indigenous people

Hi!

Why is that alcohol has a different effect on indigenous people than people of, inter alia, European descent? Particularly, indigenous people get a lot more addicted to alcohol than their European brethren.

Currently there's a huge problem with this in Australia among Aborigines (they have a huge problem with drug use too) and also there's a notable problem in South America among Indians. I don't know about Africa.

And from history we know that Europeans with selling alcohol to indigenous people in Americans and Oceania have indirectly degraded more than a few communities.

Can it be because of genetic differences because people have used alcohol in Europe, Middle East, etc., for a lot longer and in larger doses than tribal people where it used to be used only during rituals and also prepared as a holy drink to great feasts, but not for daily consumption?

But, if so, how do these genetic differences appear, are triggered?
Or maybe it is because indigenous people for some reason or another can not control themselves as much, or maybe nowadays it's more because of some social aspects?

And, if genetic, can it be cured in some other, more efficient and quick way than to expose them to alcohol for a few more centuries so they develop a resistance (on the condition that they don't die out first).

Of course I am not saying that in the old world there are no drunkards, there are a lot, but it seems that alcoholism is not so widespread and/or dire as among indigenous people where alcohol is available to them.


Or maybe it seems wrong to me and it's just propaganda of some media channels, historians and reporters?

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There really aren't as many social repercussions for alcoholism with the indigenous...that is probably part of it. They may not know how harmful it can be from the offset.

 

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That could have certainly been said about the first generations which were introduced to alcohol, but several hundreds of years have passed since then (for the majority of communities).

 

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Sure, they have the knowledge of their own experience, but it really takes a social movement to educate early as to oppose later abuse of alcohol.

Do they know how badly it can physically damage the body?

And how culturally accepted is it among them?

 

I have no idea. Maybe someone from Australia in this forum can answer?
I know there are a few Australians here and that problem is closer to their geographical location than my.

 

I really consider alcohol a poison. To me it's nothing more then a way of killing the body or forcing it to adapt to something that's not naturally occuring. In a sense I wonder what the next 1,000 years might produce in response to this, will our genetic makup actually adapt through evolution to either:

1. More easily assimilate it

2. Make it deadly

Only time and evolution can say.

 

It is not the alcohol that evolves, but we,
and alcohol has already been used for a lot more than 1000 years to, as far as we can tell, to the same effect as now,
besides it's not killing the body, if not overused (as with almost everything),
a glass of red wine a day is actually quite healthy.

Of course, drink it too much and it causes brain damage among other things.

 

Avatar,

I do remember a historic except that stated almost every civilization on Earth had formed their own form of alcohol. So, I really don't think alcohol itself is a factor, but more like culture.

I'm not saying native cultures stated to drink lots, but it could be a modern culture and the indigenous suceptibility of it though maybe too quick of modernization or other causes.


[Renrue]

 

I <3 alcohol.

 

Renrue, you are correct about that alcohol was pretty well known, but it was used more in rituals and special festive ocasions than everyday life (as far as we can tell).

Maybe Europeans and other travelers just showed them that alcohol can be abused and easily bought from the same travelers. Really don't know.. but it seems that colonists have had a direct affect on that.

Still doesn't quite explain why they continue to abuse it so much. I read somewhere that the australian government has special programs to help and educate in these matters (Australia is an example, there are lots of other such places)

 

its usually a way to cope with the whole genocide thing.

If you check European populations that have been subjected to the same brutal treatment you will find that it transcends ethnicity

 

Jews? Armenians? haven't heard anything like that
Besides in many communities there has been no genocide.

It's not charecteristic for people to live in the past and turn into drunkards just because great, great grandfather was killed by some colonist.
My great grandfather was made to sign his approval on his death order and then shot before his family, as well as a lot other relatives executed or ruined, but that doesn't make me into a drunkard or rise some other emotion. It was so long ago, I didn't even know them, who cares?

No, don't think that past abuse is a reason for this.

 

Actually I read some articles about this a couple of years back. First, alcohol (in-)tolerance has a mostly genetic basis. As such it is likely that in alcohol tolerant populations there is a selective pressure in favour of keeping these alleles.
If I recall correctly, one of the aspects that was discussed is that in many alcohol tolerant societies alcoholic fermentation was the main means to decontaminate liquids.
In other societies either the population was low enough to use fresh water reserves or they cooked the water...

Edit because sentence didn't make much sense...

 

Presumably over the many thousands of years that Europeans were making and consuming alcohol, some people were born with mutations that were slightly more tolerant to alcohol. This gave them a competitive advantage over people who were less tolerant, so they were more likely to pass on their tolerant genes. Over time the small changes accumulated. Just like ever other difference.

 

It's obvious. As mentioned above, alcohol has been used in European cultures for milenia. Those individuals prone to abuse alcohol to the point that they can not function were much less likely to reproduce. Over many generations such people became less and less common. Indigenous peoples are now going thru that process. Within several thousand years, they'll be fine.

 

Yes, that is correct except for the last sentence. Approx 50% of Asians carry an allele for an inactive aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) enzyme. Acetaldehyde (a metabolic product of ethanol) is oxidised into acetate by ALDH. This inactive ALDH results in an accumulation of acetaldehyde causing facial flushing and intolerance to alcohol. (Acetaldehyde is a rather toxic molecule that is responsible for all the bad aspects of excessive alcolhol consumption.)

Interestingly, this genetic defect does not increase the chances of alcohol dependence. Because they feel the effects of alcohol with relatively small amounts, the presence of the defective ALDH allele protects (via a dissuasive effect) against excessive alcohol consumption. The consequences of excessive alcohol consumption are, however, more damaging in Asians with this genetic deficiency. They are more susceptible to alcohol-related diseases.<P>

 

Thanks for the info, all,
quite interesting!

 

As a follow-up to Hercules' post.
Alcohol addiction is quite often a result of alcohol tolerance. That is, individuals with either an acquired or genetically based resistance to the physiological effects of alcohol. This in turn can lead to a higher intake of ethanol. Finally, after a prolonged time this might lead to physical addiction.
In this regard it is of interest that last year in Drosophila a gene dubbed "hangover" has been identified, which plays a role in alcohol tolerance (and interestingly also in stress response).

 

indigenous is the wrong word. everyone is indigenous to someplace or another.

The enzyme is alchohol dehyrdogonase (sp?) and is not as naturally prevailent in certain races. I'm told this is due to the fact that Europeans used alcohol to preserve their water (stop stuff growing in it) whilst, for example, the Orientals used a different technique. Backed up by the fact that my Chinese friend gets wasted really easily, but that's just one case!