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Tribal Members Demonstrate Against Alcohol-Related Harm

2-28-13 PineRidge1 1

More than 100 Oglala Lakota Sioux tribal members and their allies rallied last week in response to the alcohol-related harms and illegal activity, caused by alcohol sold to tribal members in the border town of Whiteclay, Nebraska. The unincorporated hamlet, which is within walking distance of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, has 14 residents and four liquor stores which sell nearly 5 million cans of beer each year. The liquor outlets engage in illegal alcohol activity, including sales of alcohol to minors, sales of alcohol to intoxicated people, accepting food stamps as payment for beer, and trading alcohol for sex. The lack of law enforcement has led to a public health crisis: 25% of youth from the Pine Ridge Reservation suffer from Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, and 2/3 of the adults suffer from alcoholism. Click here to read more.