Coping with Structural Harm: Social Support and Recent Drug Use Among Indigenous Peoples in Canada

We argue that drug use should not be understood as a lifestyle choice, nor should it be regarded as a characteristic of individuals, but rather as a coping mechanism in response to structural harm. Accordingly, structural theories, social support theory, and constellation perspective provide a useful framework for explaining recent drug use.

Using data from the Aboriginal Peoples Survey, we conducted multivariate logistic regression analyses to examine the correlates of drug use. Variables derived from social support theory and from the constellation model were used to explain variation in drug use among Indigenous Peoples.

The results indicate that Inuit respondents are significantly more likely to use drugs, whereas Métis respondents are less likely to do so, compared to First Nations respondents. In addition, persons who use drugs and who don't use drugs constitute distinct groups. Variables of social support and constellation models explain drug use more effectively than nonuse.

The lived experiences of Indigenous Peoples are highly consequential for understanding drug use. This study underscores the importance of addressing structural inequalities, especially contumacious health care inequities between Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations, in the design of effective drug use policies and interventions.