Tribe suing beer companies for alcohol problems

foxnews.com ^ | 2/9/12 | AP

[ColdOne]

LINCOLN, Neb. – An American Indian tribe sued some of the world's largest beer makers Thursday, claiming they knowingly contributed to devastating alcohol-related problems on South Dakota's Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.

The Oglala Sioux Tribe of South Dakota said it is demanding $500 million in damages for the cost of health care, social services and child rehabilitation caused by chronic alcoholism on the reservation, which encompasses some of the nation's most impoverished counties.

The lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court of Nebraska also targets four beer stores in Whiteclay, a Nebraska town near the reservation's border that, despite having only about a dozen residents, sold nearly 5 million cans of beer in 2010.

Tribal leaders and activists blame the Whiteclay businesses for chronic alcohol abuse and bootlegging on the Pine Ridge reservation, where all alcohol is banned. They say most of the stores' customers come from the reservation, which spans southwest South Dakota and dips into Nebraska.

"You cannot sell 4.9 million 12-ounce cans of beer and wash your hands like Pontius Pilate, and say we've got nothing to do with it being smuggled," said Tom White, the tribe's Omaha-based attorney.

[cripplecreek]

If they manage to cut off the alcohol supply, I guarantee that the stills will be up and running inside of a month.

[Cyman]

Victomhood appears to be genetic.

[ataDude]

Oh, pulllleeeeze. “I can’t control myself so therefore it’s their fault.”

[matt1234]

Alcohol & tobacco. We’re even steven.

[muawiyah]

I've seen the event ~ 2 six packs does it ~ you get to keep the alcohol in your system a lot longer than others. If you drank moderately ~ let's say a couple of six packs a week for six months, you'd probably be dead drunk most of the time.

There are Europeans, Africans, East Asians, South Asians, North Asians and American Indians with this problem.

One of the more famous studies focused on Northern and Skolt Sa'ami for a substantial period of time and demonstrated that there were extended families that simply couldn't metabolize alcohol. Some Sa'ami nations have a lower than normal incidence of alcoholism because they adhere to the dicta of a very conservative church that fights alcohol 24/7.

The Oglala Sioux have a widespread problem that can be solved if and only if someone gives them new livers with some new genes.

[Rushmore Rocks]

Pine Ridge Rez is in SoDak.

[ScreamingFist]

I noted earlier that when you don't have the enzymes to metabolize liquor you can drink a couple of six packs and be drunk for weeks, and that's the problem here.

Your Indians must be diffferent than Oklahoma Indians. Our Indians get free housing, free food, free money....and don't have a damn other thing to do except bitch and drink and do dope. And yes, I'm an Indian....except I have a job.

[cripplecreek]

I was an easy case per day drinker myself for years and managed to quit cold turkey.

[jonrick46]

With Socialism’s creation of the entitlement culture, people think they are entitled to life without consequence. This is the fantasy world of the Unicorn Farm where people will take a walk down the Santa Monica Pier for a trip on the Mother Ship. Does anybody have three quarters and a five-dollar bill for these Pine Ridge Indians?

[Kozak]

Smokers should sue the tribes for their medical problems.

[muawiyah]

You do know the Osage, Comanche and others arise out of the same Assinoboine group as the Oglala.

[Dust in the Wind]

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&cp=13&gs_id=0&xhr=t&q=oglala+sioux+tribe&qscrl=1&nord=1&rlz=1T4TSHB_enUS341US341&gs_upl=&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&biw=1280&bih=570&ion=1&wrapid=tljp132883747325100&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wl

[Paddyboy]

I’d hate to be siouxed by an indian

[Gabz]

If they succeed, it opens the door for millions more and another industry is strangled.

That door was opened long ago with the suits against the tobacco companies.

[ScreamingFist]

There are Europeans, Africans, East Asians, South Asians, North Asians and American Indians with this problem.

Yea, yea. Let me guess. I'm Indian and German. German side makes me want to drink and Indian side doesn't let me stop. Or I might just be a big, fat loser that wants to get billions more so my tribe can dish more FREE money my way....

[Lion Den Dan]

But I know for a fact...alcohol effects American Indians differently.

Yes ut dies but you must be a racist for saying so.s/

[muawiyah]

We are all talking about that same place ~ 400 miles West of Omaha!

[Lion Den Dan]

But I know for a fact...alcohol effects American Indians differently.

Yes it does but you must be a racist for saying so.s/

[Osage Orange]

Well we must disagree.....

Your last sentence is quite out there.....

[POWERSBOOTHEFAN]

You have the choice to abstain from drinking that beer,jackass.