Ruru Parirau: Māori and Alcohol: The importance of destabilising negative stereotypes and the implications for policy and practice

A key challenge for the Health Promotion Agency (HPA) is to find innovative ways to address the disproportionate levels of alcohol- related harm that Māori experience. Some negative images of Māori drinking, such as those in the movie adaptation of Alan Duff’s Once Were Warriors, have become a self- fulfilling prophecy for far too many Māori. Consequently, the Alcohol Advisory Council of New Zealand (ALAC), now part of HPA, has been working on ways to destabilise these negative images. This article explores the concept of stereotypes and how it can affect alcohol use by Māori. It also offers some practical ideas for what can be done to mitigate the impacts of negative stereotyping.