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April is Alcohol Awareness Month. Sponsored by The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD) and established in 1987, April was designated as Alcohol Awareness Month with the mission of removing the stigma associated with alcoholism and with the goal of bringing awareness and treatment to the nation’s number one public health problem.¹

Over 88,000 people die each year from excessive alcohol consumption, and excessive drinking costs the nation over $249 billion annually in workplace productivity loss, healthcare expenses, and increased criminal activity,^2��but the true cost of alcoholism is measured in families and lives destroyed.

Treatment Works

NCADD’s primary mission is raising public awareness about the effectiveness of treatment for alcoholism and the importance of prevention. Treatment saves lives. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), nearly one-third of people who are treated for alcohol abuse have maintained their sobriety one year later.

For those who do drink alcohol again after their treatment, many of them report substantially reducing their alcohol consumption and the alcohol-related problems they experience.³ As healthcare providers, you are often the first line of defense and the first source of help and hope for those struggling with alcohol abuse and dependence.

Know the Signs

Knowing the signs of alcohol abuse is important for healthcare professionals and patients alike. Here are a few of the most common indications that an individual has a problem with alcohol:⁴

• Memory loss and blackouts
• Irritability, depression, and mood swings
• Using alcohol to relax, fit in, or feel “normal”
• Drinking alone or in secret
• Lying about drinking
• Continuing to drink despite negative consequences (loss of relationships, jobs, health)
• Feeling bad after a period of not drinking (headache, nausea, anxiety, etc.)
• The need to drink more to get the same result
• Loss of interest in people and activities that were once important
• Health problems (flushed skin, broken blood vessels in the face, trembling hands, abnormal stools, digestive problems, chronic diarrhea, etc.)
• Frequent absences from work, school, or important events
• Change in appearance and decreased attention to personal hygiene
• Family history of alcoholism or substance abuse

If you notice any of these in a patient or if a patient confides in you, offer information about alcohol abuse and treatment, make a referral if possible, and listen to your patient.

Changing Attitudes: It’s Not a Rite of Passage

With this year’s Alcohol Awareness Month theme, “Changing Attitudes:  It’s Not A ‘Rite of Passage,” NCADD is targeting youth and seeking to educate as many kids as possible about the dangers of alcohol use and abuse. They also hope to educate parents about how important they are to help shape their children’s impressions and attitudes about alcohol.

During adolescence, kids tend to engage in more risk-taking and experimental behaviors, and drinking may be one of them. The risks of teen drinking are all too real. Studies show that young people who begin drinking before age 15 are four times more likely to develop alcohol dependence than those who start drinking at age 21.⁵

Parents face the challenge of deciding how best to talk to their kids about underage drinking. Too many adults see underage drinking as a rite of passage or a normal stage of adolescence. But thinking that way can put kids at risk for life-long problems with alcohol. There’s hope–kids who talk to their parents about drinking are 50 percent less likely to drink than those who don’t. Parents can teach their kids that underage drinking is not a normal part of being a teenager and recognize their decision not to drink.

Alcohol-Free Weekend

Another important part of Alcohol Awareness Month is the “Weekend Without Alcohol.” This year the event fell on March 30-April 1, 2018, and during this event, NACDD urged people to go the full weekend, 72 hours, without consuming a single alcoholic beverage. Even though the event has passed, NCADD urges anyone who struggles with going 72 hours alcohol-free at any given time should contact Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), Al-Anon, or a local treatment center to learn more about alcoholism.

As a healthcare professional, you may be the first person to raise the issue of alcohol consumption with the patients you serve. Alcohol Awareness Month is a great time to learn about alcohol abuse and to learn how to discuss it with your patients.

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Sources:

1. “Alcohol Awareness Month,” National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc. (NCADD), accessed March 21, 2018, .
2. “Chronic Disease Overview,” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), last modified June 28, 2017, .
3. “Treatment for Alcohol Problems: Finding and Getting Help,” National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), accessed March 21, 2018, .
4. “Signs and Symptoms,” National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc. (NCADD), last modified December, 19, 2016, .
5. “32nd Annual Alcohol Awareness Month ORGANIZER’S GUIDE,” National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc. (NCADD), accessed March 22, 2018, ��ٳٱ��://�ɷɷ�.�Գ������.�ǰ���/�����������/���ٴǰ������/�ʶٹ�/2018%20���������Ծ������’s%20�ҳܾ����.����.