| Abstract: | Problems arising from alcohol consumption in the Aboriginal fringe camps and settlements of Central Australia have commanded medical and other professional attention for several decades. To date a real breakthrough in combating this problem has not been forthcoming. This paper suggests that the point of view of Western professionals in this field, absorbed as they seemingly are in the concept of alcoholism as individual pathology, obscures the real issues and precludes the possibility of finding lasting solutions. A move form the disease concept of alcoholism to a view of social dependence is suggested, and some implications of this for those involved in the delivery of treatment services are discussed. |
