Mexico: Alcohol Harm in Indigenous Communities Is a Serious Problem

Violence is spiking in indigenous communities in Mexico. And the role of alcohol in fueling the rise in violence is coming under the spotlight. This discussion was platformed at the Dialogues on Alcohol Forum, held at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). A statement by the Alcohol Action Network also highlighted the importance of addressing this problem as a social and health challenge.

Second-hand alcohol harm has serious implications concerning the safety of indigenous communities. The clear role alcohol plays in fueling and aggravating violence, gender-based violence, child neglect, and poverty for example, is well established.

When alcohol is more available than drinking water

The tactics employed by the alcohol industry mean that commercial determinants such as high availability and normalization of alcohol act as drivers of these social problems.

The Forum highlighted the need to address these two elements as a public health issue. For example, in certain regions in Mexico alcohol availability is much higher than their access to drinking water. Instead of being stigmatized, these phenomena should be treated as symptoms of the political, economic, and cultural factors that have been affected by alcohol companies. Doing so requires a preventative approach in creating strong evidence-based policies that regulate alcohol the alcohol industry in Mexico.

Alcohol harm in Mexico

In addition to this socioeconomic burden caused by alcohol there is even a serious environmental burden affecting the people of Mexico.

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