Maori are twice as likely to have substance abuse problems.
The startling finding was revealed in statistical analysis of ‘Te Rau Hinengaro: The New Zealand Mental Health Survey’ and will be presented at the ATCA conference by Professor Doug Sellman, Director of the National Addiction Centre and the Christchurch School of Medicine.
“In the raw data, it appeared Maori were actually three times more likely to have substance abuse problems than other ethnicities, so the question was asked: how much of this result is due to ethnicity, and how much is due to other factors?” says Professor Sellman.
Multi-regression mathematical models were used to factor in variables that could explain the disparity such as age, gender, education, and household income.
“This analysis found that, independently of these other variables, Maori are twice as likely to have lifetime substance use disorders than other ethnic groups,” says Professor Sellman.
I don't find this startling. It's at the root of most of Maori disproportionately poor statistics. Alcoholism, binge drinking, cannabis and harder drug addiction lead to crime, inside and outside the home. Who are they kidding, startling?
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They were probably startled that it wasn't higher.
Silly me. How did I miss that?
It would seem that there is a culture of substance abuse and that children are introduced to it by their irresponsible substance abusing parents.
Is this another spin off from being on welfare - too much time sitting around while not working?
Are you claiming that cannabis use leads to crime, Lindsay? Or only when you combine it with alcoholism, binge-drinking and more difficult drug addiction?
Cannabis use by itself leads to crime when cannabis use, cultivation and trade are all illegal. Sometimes the type of crime is victimless however.
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