Healthy choices, healthy communities
Published 9:00 am Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Column: Alice Englin, Partners in Prevention
The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence offers some interesting and helpful information on alcoholism and drug use. I wanted to share it with you. What follows comes from the NCAAD:
Before one more high school student dies in an alcohol-related accident or another college student dies of alcohol poisoning, or another family is split up because of alcohol, the seriousness of the public health problems associated with alcohol and alcoholism must be brought into focus through the spotlight of public awareness.
Alcohol is the drug most frequently used by Americans and results in more than 100,000 alcohol-related deaths per year. For young people, they drink alcohol more frequently than they use all other illicit drugs combined, and alcohol is responsible for more than 6,500 deaths per year (young people under 21): motor vehicle accidents account for 2,400 deaths, unintentional death by fire, falls or overdose account for 2,400 deaths, homicides account for 1,600 deaths and suicide accounts for about 300 deaths per year!
Alcohol-related problems and alcoholism affect each and every one of us, directly or indirectly, and are our Nation’s No. 1 public health problem in America. Alcohol is a drug that affects every cell and organ system in the body, affecting judgment, coordination and long-term health.
In fact, recent scientific research now suggests that early use of alcohol by teenagers may contribute significantly to dependence on alcohol and other drugs later in life, with 40 percent of children who begin using alcohol before the age of 13 become alcohol dependent at some point in their lives.
Regrettably, too many dismiss underage drinking as a “youthful indiscretion” or a rite of passage from adolescence into adulthood, and many underage drinkers are often first presented with alcohol in their own dining rooms, living rooms and kitchens. Alcohol is aggressively marketed to underage drinkers and associated with athletic and social events popular with high school and college students.
The annual economic costs of alcohol-related problems exceeds $224 billion ($746 per person) due to lost productivity, health care costs, business and criminal justice costs, more than substance abuse and tobacco.
“Alcohol is a drug — a powerful, mood-altering drug — and alcoholism is a chronic disease, from which, people can and do recover” said Dr. David E. Lewis, chairman of the Medical-Scientific Committee of the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence.
“Over the past two decades, scientific research has revolutionized our understanding of how alcohol and drugs affect the body and the brain. We now know that prolonged, repeated alcohol and drug use can result in fundamental, long-lasting changes in the body including brain structure and functioning.”
These are but a few of the fundamental reasons why we must increase public awareness. Not only are there a whole set of increased risks in the short-term, including traffic crashes, violent crime, assaults, burns, drowning, suicide attempts, fetal alcohol syndrome, alcohol poisonings and high-risk sexual behavior, the long-term physical and biochemical effects put many drinkers at risk for the rest of their lives.
“The good news is we are making progress,” said Robert J. Lindsey, president and CEO of the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence.
It is now estimated that more than 20 million individuals and family members are living lives in recovery.
“Bottom line, we all have an investment in reducing the devastating impact that alcohol has on us as individuals, family members and as members of our communities,” Lindsey said. “We need to educate ourselves — as parents, teachers, clergy, employers, counselors, friends and neighbors — that the earlier children are exposed to alcohol, the greater the probability of alcoholism and addiction. And it is through education and understanding that we can reduce the stigma often associated with alcoholism that prevents millions of individuals and family members from seeking help.”
While the issues of alcohol-related problems and alcoholism are a complex problem, it is one that can only be solved through a sustained and cooperative effort between parents, schools and colleges, community leaders, health care providers, employers and young people. Specific to young people, there are four areas that have proven to be effective in prevention and intervention of underage drinking:
1. Curtailing the availability of alcohol to underage populations.
2. Consistent enforcement of existing laws and regulations regarding alcohol purchase.
3. Changing cultural misconceptions and behaviors about alcohol use through education.
4. Expanded access to treatment and recovery support for adolescents and their families.
“As a society, we must do a far better job increasing public awareness, understanding of and support for prevention, treatment and recovery. In particular, underage drinking by young people is extremely risky behavior, not only in their own lives, but with the lives of friends, neighbors, loved ones and innocent bystanders,” Lindsey said. “Underage drinking is not a rite of passage and each and every one of us have a responsibility to support expanded community awareness efforts.”
For more than 65 years, NCADD and its National Network of Affiliates have been a trusted source of help, hope and healing for millions of individuals and families who have been affected by alcoholism and drug dependence. Please join Freeborn County Partners In Prevention, in celebrating NCADD’s 26th Annual Alcohol Awareness Month and NCADD’s life-saving work, through prevention, treatment and recovery.
Together, we can make healthy choices develop healthy communities and prevent underage drinking.
Alice Englin is the project coordinator for Partners in Prevention, Freeborn County Thrive and the Freeborn County Family Services Collaborative.