Alcohol Awareness Month

     To recognize the serious problem of alcohol abuse, April marks the annual observance of  Alcohol Awareness Month.  Alcohol use is legal for individuals aged 21 and older, and the majority of people who drink do so without incident.  However, there is a continuum of potential problems associated with alcohol consumption.
    • Risky drinking.  Risky drinking is consuming alcohol in a way that can pose the risk of physical or emotional harm to the drinker or others.  This includes binge drinking ( four or more drinks on a single occasion for females and five or more for males) and drinking in situations that increase the risk of harm (before or while driving, during pregnancy, or drinking while taking certain prescription medications).
    • Alcohol abuse. Alcohol abuse is the regular use of alcohol despite frequent and/or ongoing negative consequences. According to the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services,  a diagnosis of alcohol abuse is made when someone exhibits one or more of the following within a 12-month period:
 A man's face in front of a couple of bottles.
    • Recurrent alcohol use resulting in a failure to fulfill obligations at work, school or home
    • Recurrent alcohol use in situations in which it is physically hazardous (e.g., driving an automobile when impaired by alcohol use)
    • Recurrent alcohol-related legal problems
    • Continued alcohol use despite having persistent social or interpersonal problems that are caused or exacerbated by alcohol use
  • Alcohol dependence.  Alcohol dependence, the most severe alcohol problem, is a chronic disease with specific, definable symptoms and is diagnosed when a person experiences three or more of the following in a 12-month period:
    • Tolerance:  the need for increasing amounts of alcohol to reach intoxication
    • Withdrawal:  the occurrence of physical symptoms when heavy alcohol use is reduced or stopped.  Symptoms include tremors, sweating, high pulse rate, nausea or vomiting, insomnia and anxiety.  Severe withdrawal may induce transient hallucinations or grand mal seizures.
    • Drinking larger amounts or drinking over a longer period than was intended.
    • A persistent desire or unsuccessful efforts to cut down on or control alcohol use.
    • Spending a great deal of time obtaining, using or recovering from the effects of alcohol use
    • Giving up or reducing social, occupational or recreational activities because of alcohol use
    • Using despite having knowledge of persistent or recurring physical or psychological problems that were caused or made worse by alcohol use.

     Both environment and genetics influence alcohol dependence.  People with a family history of  dependence have a higher chance of becoming dependent than those without such a history, and researchers have identified genes that influence a person’s susceptibility to alcohol dependence.  However, heredity alone does not predict a future of dependence;  environmental factors also play a key role.  For example, the child of a parent who is alcohol-dependent may be genetically predisposed to alcohol dependence but may effectively avoid it through education, self-monitoring and social support.  On the other hand, neurochemical changes in the brain caused by repeated abuse of alcohol can lead to neurological dependence, even if the person has no genetic predisposition to addiction disorders.

     The Center for Substance Abuse Treatment’s publication, What You Should Know About Alcohol Problems, notes that the economic costs of alcohol problems are estimated to be nearly $190 billion annually, with over 70 percent of these costs attributed to productivity losses.  Other costs include healthcare expenditures related to alcohol abuse treatment and prevention and the medical consequences of alcohol consumption, costs resulting from alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes, criminal justice,  system costs stemming from alcohol-related crime and alcohol-related social welfare costs.

     Prevention of and early intervention in alcohol problems are vital to reducing the social and economic consequences.  Prevention among youth is particularly important, not only because it is illegal for persons younger than age 21 to drink alcohol, but also because postponing the onset of alcohol use decreases the likelihood of developing dependence later in life.  About 40 percent of those who start drinking at age 15 or younger develop alcohol dependence at some point, while only 10 percent whose drinking onset occurs at age 21 or older develop dependence.

     Dependence on alcohol and drugs is our nation’s most serious public health problem.  Yet this condition can be effectively treated – millions of Americans and their families are in recovery from addiction disorders.  If you or some one you know has an alcohol problem, community resources are available.

L & P Services, Inc. (740) 376-0930

Southern Ohio Solutions (740) 374-3455

Alcoholics Anonymous 1-800-870-3795

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