Alcohol Related Deaths

"Since nothing can change what took place in the past, it is hoped that all of the state and federal prisoners who abused drugs and/or alcohol in the past have access to alcoholism and alcohol abuse programs as well as to substance abuse and addiction treatment while they are still in prison."

"According to U.S. research statistics, alcohol's effects do vary with age. Slower reaction times, problems with hearing and seeing, and a lower tolerance to alcohol's effects put older people at higher risk for falls, car crashes, and other types of injuries that may result from drinking."

"Addicts have a tendency to engage in various activities or to use particular substances as substitutes for more appropriate and healthy coping mechanisms when dealing with stress, anxiety, and with their everyday lives."

"Fortunately, research is helping to define the barriers that exist in accessing care and achieving recovery from alcohol abuse and alcoholism."

"The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has established procedures for mandatory alcohol testing that require the employment of a standardized breathalyzer. The categories of testing that are allowed by the DOT are the following: random, reasonable suspicion, and post-accident."

"Alcohol abuse and alcoholism research demonstrates that hangovers are another effect that occurs after large amounts of alcohol are consumed. The typical symptoms include nausea, fatigue. thirst, dizziness, vomiting, and headaches."

"Medical research reveals that the diagnosis of alcoholism is generally made by reviewing the person's behavior except when the person has symptoms of withdrawal or damage to organs as a result of alcohol consumption."

"It seems that a lot of people focus more on the treatment of alcoholism than on the treatment of alcohol abuse. Clearly, one of the reasons for this is that alcoholism is a more serious medical condition than alcohol abuse. There is, however, a convincing argument for the treatment of alcohol abuse BEFORE an individual's abusive and hazardous drinking escalates and becomes alcohol dependency."

"According to a number of college student alcohol abuse surveys, college students are more likely than youth who are not in college to drink alcohol, to engage in binge drinking (defined as drinking five or more drinks at one sitting for males or drinking four or more alcoholic beverages at one sitting for females), and to to drink in an excessive manner."

"Data from several national alcohol abuse surveys indicate that about four in five college students drink and that about half of college student drinkers engage in heavy episodic alcohol consumption."

"Alcoholism research has shown that for drinkers who are interested in finding out if their drinking has crossed the line from abuse to alcoholism or alcohol addiction, there is a common-sense question that might provide the answer to this question. In a word, if an individual has to ask the above question, he or she probably has a serious drinking problem that more likely than not may be alcoholism. Typical drinkers usually don't wonder if their drinking is a problem. Indeed, they rarely, if ever, think about it."

"Alcoholism statistics reveal that regarding alcoholism and drinking problems, employers can be especially effective. Their approach should be compassionate but strong, threatening the employee with loss of employment if he or she does not seek professional assistance. Some large companies and organizations provide access to free or inexpensive treatment programs for their employees."

"The findings of the 2001 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse and Addiction demonstrated that, while millions of Americans habitually drink alcohol, swallow prescription drugs, and smoke pot, a number of drug users who meet or exceed the standards that indicate that they need professional treatment do not realize or accept the fact that they have a drug or an alcohol abuse problem."

"In the early stage of alcoholism, drinking is no longer social but becomes a means of psychological escape from inhibitions, problems, and stress. Stated differently, early in the disease a person starts to depend on the mood altering capabilities of alcohol."

"According to the substance abuse research literature, at first, the individual drinks alcohol to reduce emotional or physical pain. After neuroadaptation has caused the brain to adjust to the influx of alcohol, however, the individual drinks not to reduce pain but rather to function on a daily basis. In short, abusing alcohol and drugs change the brain that in turn leads to compulsive and uncontrollable drug abuse and/or drinking."

"According to substance abuse research, because the purity and dosage of illegal drugs (such as heroin) are uncontrolled, drug overdose is a constant risk. There are over 10,000 deaths directly attributable to drug abuse in the United States every year. The substances most frequently involved are cocaine, heroin, and morphine, often combined with alcohol or other drugs."

"According to a 2007 Science Daily report, kids who drink to help them deal with anger or frustration issues are not likely to benefit from a prevention program developed for kids who are just experimenting with alcohol."

"According to recent government statistics, 8.1 million people in the United States are alcoholic."

"Research reveals that alcohol policies actually result not from science, logic, or evidence, but from a continuing struggle between those who wish to use alcohol beverages and those who don't want them to."

"Families with drug and alcohol problems commonly have high levels of tension and stress. High-stress family environments are a risk factor for early and dangerous alcohol abuse and substance use, as well as for physical and mental health problems."

"Drug and alcohol abuse statistics reveal that more than 67% of the funding for drug and alcohol treatment programs comes from public sources. Private insurance pays for about 14% of these services and the patients pay for about 10%."

"U.S. research shows that many people do not go to a doctor specifically for alcohol problems but seek treatment for physical conditions (such as cirrhosis) that result from long-term alcohol use. Your doctor might ask you questions about your drinking to help see whether alcohol abuse is the cause of a condition like cirrhosis."

"Alcohol abuse and alcoholism research demonstrates that low self-esteem and depression make an individual more vulnerable to excessive drinking and alcohol dependency."

"In the U.S., a clear relationship exists between alcohol use and grade point average among college students. Students with grade point averages of D or F drink three times as much as those who earn As."

"Of all the Americans who are dependent on alcohol, 500,000 are between the ages of 9 and 12."

"Anheuser-Busch, brewers of Budweiser, hair-tests their employees to be sure that they are not using any drugs more dangerous than the ones they make."

"U.S. alcoholics spend four times the amount of time in a hospital as non-drinkers, mostly from drinking-related injuries."

"The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has established procedures for mandatory alcohol testing that require the employment of a standardized breathalyzer. The categories of testing that are allowed by the DOT are the following: random, reasonable suspicion, and post-accident."

"Regardless of how someone is diagnosed as alcohol dependent or how they came to realize they have a serious drinking problem, the first step to treatment is a sincere desire to get help. Alcoholics who are pressured into treatment by social pressure or forced to quit by others rarely succeed in the long run."

"Many people only think of a 'skid-row bum' when they think of someone with an alcohol problem. This is the end stage of alcohol problems, when a person has lost his or her family, job and health because of alcohol abuse. You don't reach this stage overnight."

"The World Health Organization estimates that about 76 million people throughout the world suffer from alcohol-related disorders."

"Drug use can also be dangerous for people who are taking anti-HIV medications. Drug users are less likely to take all of their medications, and street drugs may have dangerous interactions with HIV medications."

"According to alcoholism statistics, in the United States, non-alcoholic members of alcoholic families use 10 times as much sick leave as families where alcohol is not a problem. 80% of these family members state that their ability to perform their work is impaired as a result of living with an alcohol abuser or with an alcoholic."

"Research demonstrates that work that is boring, stressful, or isolating can contribute to employees' drinking. Employee drinking has been associated with low job autonomy, sexual harassment, lack of job complexity, boredom, lack of control over work conditions and products, physical and verbal aggression, and disrespectful behavior."

"In some areas, part of the DUI school curriculum puts offenders face to face with victims, who tell their painful stories of how a drunk driver changed their lives forever. The idea is that personalizing the pain that drinking and driving can cause might make the offender stop and think before getting behind the wheel after drinking."