Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

"Fetal alcohol syndrome is a combination of physical and mental birth defects that affects about 6% of the babies born to U.S. women who are alcohol abusers or alcoholics."

"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, smoke pot, and snort cocaine, 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."

"According to alcoholism demographics, the three leading causes of death for individuals between the ages of 15 and 24 are suicides, homicides, and vehicle accidents. Unfortunately, the presence of alcohol is a leading determinant in all three of these causes of death. These findings emphasize the need in our country for more relevant educational, preventative, treatment, and intervention efforts that target all individuals, especially teenagers."

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

"A problem drinker can receive ongoing alcohol abuse support through aftercare programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous. A person would be wise to discuss his or her need for a particular type of ongoing treatment or support program with his or her physician or healthcare provider."

"According to substance abuse research statistics, in 1997, U.S. illicit drug users were more likely than others to have missed 2 or more days of work in the past month and to have worked for three or more employers in the past year."

"The family and friends should express their affection for the alcoholic and their intentions for supporting the patient through recovery, but they must strongly and consistently demand that the patient seek treatment. Children may even be involved in this process, depending on their level of maturity and ability to handle the situation."

"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."

"The earlier a person begins drinking heavily, the greater their chance of developing serious illnesses later on. Once one becomes dependent on alcohol, it is very difficult to quit. In one U.S. study, after five years, two-thirds of people with alcoholism were still dependent."

"When a person consumes a heavy amount of alcohol over a short period of time, or use is continuous over a number of days or weeks, this is called intensive use, bingeing, or binge drinking."

"Alcoholism research scientists have found that blackouts are experienced among social drinkers much more frequently than previously thought. As a consequence, blackouts need to be perceived as a potential result of acute drunkenness or intoxication no matter what the drinker's age or whether he or she is alcohol dependent. In other words, blackouts are an indication of serious and excessive drinking behavior and require further assessment and perhaps alcohol treatment."

"Because they continue to go to work and socialize reasonably well, the deteriorating physical condition of 'functioning alcoholics' may go unrecognized by other individuals until serious alcohol related damage develops or until they are hospitalized for reasons unrelated to alcohol and then experience alcohol withdrawal symptoms."

"Research shows that continual use of alcohol can lead to erosive gastritis, which can limit the absorption of nutrients and vitamins associated with several serious neurological and mental disorders, including memory loss, sleep disturbances, brain damage, loss of sexual responsiveness, and psychosis such as Korsakoff' syndrome and Wernike's Encephalopathy."

"Interestingly, hangovers are generally more common in light to moderate drinkers than heavy and chronic drinkers, suggesting that binge drinking can be as threatening as chronic 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."

"Alcohol is typically found in the offender, victim or both, in about half of all U.S. homicides and serious assaults, as well as in a high percentage of sex-related crimes, robberies, and incidents of domestic violence, and alcohol-related problems are disproportionately found among both juvenile and adult criminal offenders."

"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%."

"Once an individual stops drinking and after the alcohol withdrawal symptoms subside, it is important for the person to join a treatment or sobriety program such as Alcoholics Anonymous to help him or her maintain sobriety and continue on the alcohol recovery process."

"Next to smoking, excessive drinking is the most common preventable cause of death in the United States."

"According to addiction research, the average individual with a drug addiction needs $200.00 per day to support their drug addiction. In order to raise the $200.00 they need for their addiction, the average individual with a drug addiction has to steal an average of $1,000.00 worth of property and goods."

"According to the alcohol abuse and alcoholism research literature, in the U.S., more than 40% of those who start drinking at age 14 or younger become alcohol dependent."

"Whether a baby's alcohol or drug-caused health problems will continue as the child grows older is not always known. Medical research does show, however, that children born to mothers who used marijuana and or alcohol regularly during pregnancy may have trouble concentrating, when they get older."

"According to the alcohol abuse and alcoholism research literature, in the U.S., more than 40% of those who start drinking at age 14 or younger become alcohol dependent."

"Alcoholism and medical research have discovered that drinking alcohol can be hazardous in smaller amounts if it is consumed along with the following drugs: street drugs such as heroin and opium; sedatives such as tranquilizers and barbiturates; anti-seizure medications such as phenobarbital; and narcotic pain medications such as Codeine, Codeine derivatives, and Darvocet. Not only this, but mixing alcohol and drugs not only compounds the drug and alcohol problems that the abuser experiences, but doing so increases the person's need for professional alcohol and drug treatment."

"Even though alcohol abuse and alcoholism research shows that drinking early in life can lead to impairment of brain function in adulthood, findings also show that not all young people who drink heavily or become alcohol dependent will experience the same level of impairment, and some may not show any damage at all. This is because factors such as genetics, drinking patterns, and the use of other drugs also influence risk."

"The most obvious sign of addiction is using drugs or alcohol uncontrollably, despite the fact that use is causing problems. Addicted people's behavior can change dramatically, and they can act out of character, which is confusing and upsetting to friends and family members."

"Although 40 percent of U.S. college freshmen say they binge drink (5 or more drinks on one occasion), a new study has found that up to 20 percent of male students go far beyond the binge-drinking threshold, consuming more than 10 or 15 drinks per drinking session."

"According to SAMHSA's 2002 and 2003 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 4% of adults age 21 or older reported that they started drinking before age 12, 14% started between ages 12-14, almost 74% had started drinking alcohol before the current legal drinking age of 21, 33% started between ages 15-17; and 22% started drinking between ages 18-20."

"Early signs of alcoholism include frequent intoxication, an established pattern of heavy drinking and drinking in dangerous situations, such as when driving. Other early signs of alcoholism include black-out drinking or a drastic change in demeanor while drinking, such as consistently becoming angry or violent."

"According to the research literature, in the U.S., alcohol is linked with an estimated 5,000 deaths in people under age 21 each year. This is more deaths than from all the illegal drugs combined for this age group."

"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%."

"Illegal drugs are not the only substances that can be abused. Indeed, alcohol, prescription and over-the-counter medications, inhalants and solvents, and even coffee and cigarettes, can all be used to harmful excess. Theoretically, almost any substance can be abused."