Brief Alcohol Intervention

"Alcoholism is a profound problem, and the third leading cause of preventable death in the U.S., after smoking and obesity. Being aware of your risks may prevent you from becoming one of those Statistics."

"As people age, it takes fewer drinks to become intoxicated, and organs can be damaged by smaller amounts of alcohol than in younger people. Also, up to one-half of the 100 most prescribed drugs for older people react adversely with alcohol."

"Research shows that there is no known "cure" for alcoholism. It can be treated, but never "cured." Intervention will work only if the alcoholic becomes committed to never taking another drink."

"A person who abuses alcohol may start drinking alone, gulping drinks or sneaking drinks before social occasions, or may start drinking the first thing in the morning. The abusive drinker may also display alcohol-related legal, financial, relationship, and employment problems."

"Those who are drug dependent feel a need to abuse drugs consistently in order to feel "normal," or to avoid uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms. Drug dependence can be physical, psychological, or both."

"According to a 2002 Third National Health and Nutrition Survey report, teenage girls 12 to 16 years old who currently drink alcohol are four times more likely than their non-drinking peers to suffer from depression. From a mental health perspective, this is strong evidence for female AND male teenagers to stay away from drinking alcohol until they are 21 years old (or older).

"According to research undertaken in the U.S., peripheral neuropathy, damage to the nerves in the limbs, occurs in 5% to 15% of people with alcoholism. Such injuries cause tingling, pain, and numbness in the hands, feet, arms and legs."

"Research has demonstrated that long-term drug and alcohol abuse costs United States industry and business an estimated $100 billion per year. In addition, alcoholism alone leads to 500 million lost work days per year."

"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."

"While the discussion of the causes of alcohol abuse and alcohol typically center on genetics and environmental factors, perhaps there is another component that needs to be added to the "causal equation," namely, a person's developmental processes and how she progresses through the developmental stages that are critical for growth."

"Regarding alcoholism and drinking problems, employers can be particularly effective. Their approach should also be compassionate but strong, threatening the employee with loss of employment if he or she does not seek help."

"Despite all the warnings, public awareness and educational programs, stiffer penalties for violations, and efforts by law enforcement agencies across the nation to be more visible and diligent in protecting the highways, people will still get behind the wheel of their vehicles while intoxicated."

"People seem to love information about alcoholism facts and statistics. In fact, information about alcoholism facts and statistics are some of most widely quoted aspects regarding alcoholics, alcoholism, and problem drinking."

"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."

"According to the alcohol abuse and alcoholism research literature, approximately 500 million work days are lost each year to alcoholism in the United States."

"According to a report published by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, eighty-one percent of high school students have consumed alcohol, compared with 70 percent who have smoked cigarettes and 47 percent who have used marijuana."

"According to a report published by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, eighty-seven percent of U.S. adults who drink had their first drink before the age of 21."

"The incidence of intoxication (i.e., a blood alcohol content of 0.08 or greater) for drivers in fatal crashes in 2003 was highest for motorcycle operators (29% ) and lowest for drivers of large trucks (1%). The incidence of intoxication for drivers of light trucks and passenger car drivers was the same (22%)."

"The U.S. media and popular culture are filled with messages and images that legitimize or even glamorize frequent or excessive drinking."

"According to the substance abuse research literature, numerous drug users engage in criminal activity, such as burglary and prostitution, to raise the money to buy drugs, and some drugs, especially alcohol, are associated with violent behavior."

"Researchers say it is not clear what mechanisms link early alcohol use to behavior problems later in life. It may be that alcohol disrupts the development of adequate social and academic skills that are needed to succeed later in life. Or early alcohol use may signal that an individual is predisposed to use drugs and develop other behavioral problems."