Alcohol-Related Fatalities
• In 1997, 21 percent of the young drivers 15 to 20 years old who were killed in crashes were intoxicated. For young drivers, alcohol involvement is higher among males than among females. In 1997,25 percent of the young male drivers involved in fatal crashes had been drilling at the time of the crash, compared with 12 percent of the young female drivers involved in fatal crashes.
• According to national data, drowning is the leading cause of injury- related death among adolescents and young adults. Factors contributing to youth drowning include alcohol which can severely affect a swimmer’s coordination and judgment. Forty to 50 percent of young males who drown were drinking when they died, and an equal percentage of all diving accidents are alcohol related.
Some Good Reasons Young People Should Avoid Alcohol 67
Every year about three million teens are infected with a sexually transmitted disease. Among sexually active teens, those who average five or more drinks daily are nearly three times less likely to use condoms, thus placing them at greater risk for contracting sexually transmitted diseases. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that less than one percent of AIDS cases occur in adolescents, whereas persons in their 20s account for 20 percent of all cases. Because of the incubation period between exposure to HIV and the onset of AIDS symptoms (as long as 10 years), the high rate of AIDS among people in their 20s may be a consequence of infection during the teen years.
It’s A Fact!! Academic Performance
* A lower dosage of alcohol will damage a young brain compared to a fully mature brain, and young brains are damaged more quickly. Alcohol exposure during adolescence is linked with a reduced ability to learn compared with those not exposed until adulthood.
* Alcohol is implicated in more than 40 percent of all college academic problems and 28 percent of all college dropouts. At both 2and 4year colleges, the heaviest drinkers make the lowest grades.
* High school students who use alcohol or other substances are five times more likely than other students to drop out of school or to believe that earning good grades is not important.
There are other disturbing numbers. One national study of teenagers found that about half had been drinking and/or using drugs before the act of intercourse that resulted in unintended pregnancy. Each year about one million teenaged girls in
this country become pregnant, and 80 percent of those pregnancies are unintended. Alcohol use during pregnancy may result in fetal alcohol syndrome or effect.
Alcohol use is implicated in more incidents of sexual violence than any single drug, according to the CASA study. Alcohol used by the victim, the perpetrator or botth is implicated in 46 to 75 percent of date rape cases among teens and college student
♦ It’s A Fact!!
The use of alcohol and other drugs is associated with the leading causes of death and injury (such as motor- vehicle crashes, homicides and suicides) among teenagers and young adults. A 16-year-old is still more likely to die from an alcohol-related problem than any other cause.
In addition to the immediate dangers posed by young drinkers, underage alcohol use is a strong predictor of future alcohol abuse. A recent study found that people who begin drinking before age 15 are four times more likely to develop alcoholism than those who begin at 21.
Crime
* About halfofcollege student who are victims of crime are dunking when they are victimized.
• In a high percentage of serious crimes, the offender, the victim, or both original problems are disproportion found in both juvenile and adult offenders.
• Ninety-five percent of violent dime on college campuses is alcohol related, and 90 percent of college rapes invoke alcohol use by the victim and/or assailant.
Alcohol Abuse And Alcoholism
Is alcoholism a disease?
Yes, alcoholism is a disease. The craving that an alcoholic feels for alcohol can be as strong as the need for food or water. An alcoholic will continue to drink despite serious family, health, or legal problems.
Like many other diseases, alcoholism is chronic, meaning that it lasts a person’s lifetime; it usually follows a predictable course; and it has symptoms. The risk for developing alcoholism is influenced both by a person’s genes and by his or her lifestyle.
Is alcoholism inherited?
Research shows that the risk for developing alcoholism does indeed run in families. The genes a person inherits partially explain this pattern, but lifestyle is also a factor. Currently, researchers are working to discover the actual genes that put people at risk for alcoholism. Your friends, the amount of stress in your life, and how readily available alcohol is also are factors that may increase your risk for alcoholism.
But remember: Risk is not destiny. Just because alcoholism tends to run in families doesn’t mean that a child of an alcoholic parent will automatically become an alcoholic too. Some people develop alcoholism even though one in their family has a drinking problem. By the same token, drink of alcoholic families get into trouble with alcohol Knowing you are risk is important, though, because then you can take steps to protect you from developing problems with alcohol
Weird Words
Alcoholism, also known as alcohol dependence, is a disease that includes the following four symptoms:
Craving: A strong need, or urge, to drink.
Loss of Control: Not being able to stop drinking once drinking has begun.
Physical Dependence: Withdrawal symptoms, such as nausea, sweating, shakiness, and anxiety after stopping drinking.
Tolerance: The need to drink greater amounts of alcohol to get high. Source: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
Can alcoholism be cured?
No, alcoholism cannot be cured at this time. Even if an alcoholic hast» been drinking for a long time, he or she can still suffer a relapse. To guard against a relapse, an alcoholic must continue to avoid all alcoholic beverages.
Can alcoholism be treated?
Yes, alcoholism can be treated. Alcoholism treatment programs use both counseling and medications to help a person stop drinking. Most alcoholics need help to recover from their disease. With support and treatment, mar? People are able to stop drinking and rebuild their lives.
Which medications treat alcoholism?
A range of medications is used to treat alcoholism. Benzodiazepines (for example, Valium and Librium) are sometimes used during the first day after a person stops drinking to help him or her safely withdraw from alcohol
How can you tell if someone has a problem?
Answering the following four questions can help you find out if you or a loved one has a drinking problem:
* Have you ever felt you should cut down on your drinking?
* Have people annoyed you by criticizing your drinking?
* Have you ever felt bad or guilty about your drinking?
* Have you ever had a drink first thing in the morning to steady your nerves or to get rid of a hangover?
One “yes” answer suggests a possible alcohol problem. More than one “yes” answer means it is highly likely that a problem exists. If you think that you or someone you know might have an alcohol problem, it is important to see a doctor or other health care provider right away. They can help you determine if a drinking problem exists and plan the best course of action.
Can a problem drinker simply cut down?
It depends. If that person has been diagnosed as an alcoholic, the answer is “no.” Alcoholics who try to cut down on drinking rarely succeed. Cutting out alcohol—that is, abstaining—is usually the best course for recovery. People who are not alcohol dependent but who have experienced alcohol-related problems may be able to limit the amount they drink. If they can’t stay within those limits, they need to stop drinking altogether.
If an alcoholic is unwilling to get help, what can you do about it?
This can be a challenge. An alcoholic can’t be forced to get help except under certain circumstances, such as a violent incident that results in court- ordered treatment or medical emergency. But you don’t have to wait for someone to “hit rock bottom” to act. Many alcoholism treatment specialists suggest the following steps to help an alcoholic get treatment:
• In 1997, 21 percent of the young drivers 15 to 20 years old who were killed in crashes were intoxicated. For young drivers, alcohol involvement is higher among males than among females. In 1997,25 percent of the young male drivers involved in fatal crashes had been drilling at the time of the crash, compared with 12 percent of the young female drivers involved in fatal crashes.
• According to national data, drowning is the leading cause of injury- related death among adolescents and young adults. Factors contributing to youth drowning include alcohol which can severely affect a swimmer’s coordination and judgment. Forty to 50 percent of young males who drown were drinking when they died, and an equal percentage of all diving accidents are alcohol related.
Some Good Reasons Young People Should Avoid Alcohol 67
Every year about three million teens are infected with a sexually transmitted disease. Among sexually active teens, those who average five or more drinks daily are nearly three times less likely to use condoms, thus placing them at greater risk for contracting sexually transmitted diseases. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that less than one percent of AIDS cases occur in adolescents, whereas persons in their 20s account for 20 percent of all cases. Because of the incubation period between exposure to HIV and the onset of AIDS symptoms (as long as 10 years), the high rate of AIDS among people in their 20s may be a consequence of infection during the teen years.
It’s A Fact!! Academic Performance
* A lower dosage of alcohol will damage a young brain compared to a fully mature brain, and young brains are damaged more quickly. Alcohol exposure during adolescence is linked with a reduced ability to learn compared with those not exposed until adulthood.
* Alcohol is implicated in more than 40 percent of all college academic problems and 28 percent of all college dropouts. At both 2and 4year colleges, the heaviest drinkers make the lowest grades.
* High school students who use alcohol or other substances are five times more likely than other students to drop out of school or to believe that earning good grades is not important.
There are other disturbing numbers. One national study of teenagers found that about half had been drinking and/or using drugs before the act of intercourse that resulted in unintended pregnancy. Each year about one million teenaged girls in
this country become pregnant, and 80 percent of those pregnancies are unintended. Alcohol use during pregnancy may result in fetal alcohol syndrome or effect.
Alcohol use is implicated in more incidents of sexual violence than any single drug, according to the CASA study. Alcohol used by the victim, the perpetrator or botth is implicated in 46 to 75 percent of date rape cases among teens and college student
♦ It’s A Fact!!
The use of alcohol and other drugs is associated with the leading causes of death and injury (such as motor- vehicle crashes, homicides and suicides) among teenagers and young adults. A 16-year-old is still more likely to die from an alcohol-related problem than any other cause.
In addition to the immediate dangers posed by young drinkers, underage alcohol use is a strong predictor of future alcohol abuse. A recent study found that people who begin drinking before age 15 are four times more likely to develop alcoholism than those who begin at 21.
Crime
* About halfofcollege student who are victims of crime are dunking when they are victimized.
• In a high percentage of serious crimes, the offender, the victim, or both original problems are disproportion found in both juvenile and adult offenders.
• Ninety-five percent of violent dime on college campuses is alcohol related, and 90 percent of college rapes invoke alcohol use by the victim and/or assailant.
Alcohol Abuse And Alcoholism
Is alcoholism a disease?
Yes, alcoholism is a disease. The craving that an alcoholic feels for alcohol can be as strong as the need for food or water. An alcoholic will continue to drink despite serious family, health, or legal problems.
Like many other diseases, alcoholism is chronic, meaning that it lasts a person’s lifetime; it usually follows a predictable course; and it has symptoms. The risk for developing alcoholism is influenced both by a person’s genes and by his or her lifestyle.
Is alcoholism inherited?
Research shows that the risk for developing alcoholism does indeed run in families. The genes a person inherits partially explain this pattern, but lifestyle is also a factor. Currently, researchers are working to discover the actual genes that put people at risk for alcoholism. Your friends, the amount of stress in your life, and how readily available alcohol is also are factors that may increase your risk for alcoholism.
But remember: Risk is not destiny. Just because alcoholism tends to run in families doesn’t mean that a child of an alcoholic parent will automatically become an alcoholic too. Some people develop alcoholism even though one in their family has a drinking problem. By the same token, drink of alcoholic families get into trouble with alcohol Knowing you are risk is important, though, because then you can take steps to protect you from developing problems with alcohol
Weird Words
Alcoholism, also known as alcohol dependence, is a disease that includes the following four symptoms:
Craving: A strong need, or urge, to drink.
Loss of Control: Not being able to stop drinking once drinking has begun.
Physical Dependence: Withdrawal symptoms, such as nausea, sweating, shakiness, and anxiety after stopping drinking.
Tolerance: The need to drink greater amounts of alcohol to get high. Source: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
Can alcoholism be cured?
No, alcoholism cannot be cured at this time. Even if an alcoholic hast» been drinking for a long time, he or she can still suffer a relapse. To guard against a relapse, an alcoholic must continue to avoid all alcoholic beverages.
Can alcoholism be treated?
Yes, alcoholism can be treated. Alcoholism treatment programs use both counseling and medications to help a person stop drinking. Most alcoholics need help to recover from their disease. With support and treatment, mar? People are able to stop drinking and rebuild their lives.
Which medications treat alcoholism?
A range of medications is used to treat alcoholism. Benzodiazepines (for example, Valium and Librium) are sometimes used during the first day after a person stops drinking to help him or her safely withdraw from alcohol
How can you tell if someone has a problem?
Answering the following four questions can help you find out if you or a loved one has a drinking problem:
* Have you ever felt you should cut down on your drinking?
* Have people annoyed you by criticizing your drinking?
* Have you ever felt bad or guilty about your drinking?
* Have you ever had a drink first thing in the morning to steady your nerves or to get rid of a hangover?
One “yes” answer suggests a possible alcohol problem. More than one “yes” answer means it is highly likely that a problem exists. If you think that you or someone you know might have an alcohol problem, it is important to see a doctor or other health care provider right away. They can help you determine if a drinking problem exists and plan the best course of action.
Can a problem drinker simply cut down?
It depends. If that person has been diagnosed as an alcoholic, the answer is “no.” Alcoholics who try to cut down on drinking rarely succeed. Cutting out alcohol—that is, abstaining—is usually the best course for recovery. People who are not alcohol dependent but who have experienced alcohol-related problems may be able to limit the amount they drink. If they can’t stay within those limits, they need to stop drinking altogether.
If an alcoholic is unwilling to get help, what can you do about it?
This can be a challenge. An alcoholic can’t be forced to get help except under certain circumstances, such as a violent incident that results in court- ordered treatment or medical emergency. But you don’t have to wait for someone to “hit rock bottom” to act. Many alcoholism treatment specialists suggest the following steps to help an alcoholic get treatment: