Indigenous peoples and substance use project. Report on planning meeting (Phase II), San José, Costa Rica, 25-29 March 1996

FRANÇAIS :
Les populations indigènes ont toujours été confrontées, de par leur culture et leurs traditions, à un usage de psychotropes, le plus souvent parfaitement maitrisé. Hélas, l'infiltration de ces communautés par des individus extérieurs insouciant des règles religieuses et sociales spécifiques qui garantissaient l'équilibre de ces groupes, ou tout simplement l'érosion de ces valeurs traditionnelles dans des communautés en voie "d'assimilation", ont fait émerger un réel problème d'abus de drogues. Ce projet présentait, dans sa première phase, un exposé de la situation rencontrée dans 12 communautés indigènes en 1992. La phase II, initiée en 1995 avait pour objectif de permettre à ces communautés de se rencontrer et de décider ensemble des mesures à mettre en place, de la méthodologie à adopter, pour prévenir une évolution non contrôlée de l'abus de drogues. Le présent rapport propose un compte rendu de la rencontre de Mars 96 prévue à cet effet.
ENGLISH:
Over centuries, Indigenous peoples have come to learn about mind-altering properties of the naturally occuring substances around them. Within these Indigenous cultures, strict taboos and restrictions have helped to regulate the use of traditional psychoactive substances. Whereas many Indigenous communities managed to maintain their traditional practices, many more have seen the erosion of their cultures in the face of assimilation and integration policies of dominant groups. More and more, communities are exposed to non Indigenous psychoactive substances and new ways of using traditional substances. Phase 1 of the project involved case study reports being commissioned from 12 different Indigenous communities. Phase II was initiated in 1995 in order to provide an opportunity for Indigenous peoples to meet to discuss the design and implementation of control methods and policies. The objectives of the meeting were as follows:
- to discuss current scientific knowledge on the range and efficacy of community-based prevention and treatment programmes targeting sustance use problems among Indigenous peoples and within Indigenous communities;
- to discuss a range of specific substance use prevention and treatment programmes/activities being implemented in selected Indigenous communities;
- to prepare a framework for the development of practical guidelines for Indigenous communitites to assit them in developing their own local Indigenous action plans, policies and programmes, with regard to the prevention and management of substance use problems;
- to identify a range of Indigenous communities wher such guidelines could be piloted;
- to identify other priority areas for research and action concerning the health and social consequences of substance use among Indigenous peoples. (From the author's abstract)