Am J Psychiatry 1997; 154:983-988
Copyright © 1997 by American Psychiatric Association
The firewater myth and response to alcohol in Mission Indians
C Garcia-Andrade, TL Wall and CL Ehlers
Department of Neuropharmacology, Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess empirically the intensity of reaction
to alcohol in a group of Native Americans. METHOD: Forty healthy,
nonalcoholic Mission Indian men between the ages of 18 and 25 years were
tested before and after ingestion of placebo and 0.75 ml/kg of alcohol.
Subjective (self-report of feelings) and objective (blood pressure, pulse
rate, and plasma cortisol level) measures of intoxication were taken before
ingestion of alcohol and placebo and at 15, 30, 60, 90, and 120 minutes
after ingestion. Overall effects of alcohol were evaluated, and the
responses of subjects with less than 50% Native American heritage (N = 19)
were compared with the responses of subjects with at least 50% Native
American heritage (N = 21). RESULTS: Alcohol did not produce any
significant effects on any of the objective measures of intoxication;
however, the subjects reported significant subjective effects of alcohol.
Subjects with at least 50% Native American heritage reported less intense
effects of alcohol than did those with less than 50% Native American
heritage, despite equivalent blood alcohol concentrations. CONCLUSIONS:
These results contradict the "firewater myth"--the theory that Native
Americans are more sensitive to the effects of alcohol. Rather, the data
indicate that Mission Indian men generally may be less sensitive to
alcohol's effects, a physiological characteristic that has been shown to be
associated with a greater risk for alcoholism in Caucasian populations. In
addition, individuals with a greater percentage of Native American heritage
may be less sensitive to the subjective effects of alcohol than individuals
with a smaller percentage of Native American heritage.
