Did you know that in the US, approximately 58 million people above the age of 12 participated in binge drinking in 2011?
According to the 2011 National Survey on Drug Use and Health compiled by the US Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), it stated that:
“In 2011, nearly one quarter (22.6 percent) of persons aged 12 or older participated in binge drinking. This translates to about 58.3 million people. The rate in 2011 was similar to the estimate in 2010 (23.1 percent). Binge drinking is defined as having five or more drinks on the same occasion on at least 1 day in the 30 days prior to the survey.”
The fact that so many people binge drink in the US and at such an early age is alarming, considering all the long term effects that alcohol abuse causes.
Can alcoholism be prevented? The good news is that it can and in this article, we’ll tell you how.
Educating The Youth
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the US say that “Youth who start drinking before age 15 years are five times more likely to develop alcohol dependence or abuse later in life than those who begin drinking at or after age 21 years.”
This statistic makes the importance of constant education about the dangers of alcohol abuse throughout teenage years paramount in the hope to prevent alcoholism in later life.
Educating the youth about the dangers of alcohol abuse will help them make well informed decisions on whether to use alcohol or not.
In fact, learning about all the negative consequences of alcohol abuse and alcoholism such as liver damage, alcohol poisoning and possibly death, could help steer the youth away from binge drinking.
Abstinence
Prevention is always better than a cure.
Abstinence away from alcohol is probably one of the most effective ways to prevent alcoholism.
This can be achieved by doings things such as staying away from places where alcohol will be served and choosing to consume non-alcoholic drinks.
Moderate Drinking
If completely abstaining from alcohol isn’t possible, then drinking in moderation is a less effective way to prevent alcoholism.
Moderate drinkers do not drink to become intoxicated but simply to experience increased social communication and reduced self-consciousness.
Passive drinkers are people who drink according to the moderate or “low-risk” drinking limits stipulated by the US National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) which are:
“For men:
No more than 4 drinks on any single day AND no more than 14 drinks per week.
For women:
No more than 3 drinks on any single day AND no more than 7 drinks per week.”
Please note that we are not condoning any form of drinking! We firmly believe that the best way to keep you safe and healthy is to stay away from alcohol completely.
*Moderate drinking is not applicable for those who have previously abused or been addicted to drugs and alcohol.
Dealing with Mental Disorders
The US National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) state that “Roughly 50 percent of individuals with severe mental disorders are affected by substance abuse” and “Of all people diagnosed as mentally ill, 29 percent abuse either alcohol or drugs.”
Addressing mental disorders through means such as depression and schizophrenia can play a big part in the prevention of alcohol abuse and alcoholism.
This can be done through effective counselling, medical treatment and psychotherapy, which are all effective in the treatment of mental illnesses.
Alcoholism Treatment
If you or a loved one is suffering with a drinking problem, we provide access into the best private alcoholism treatment centres in South Africa, the United Kingdom and Thailand.
Call us now and let one of our qualified addiction counsellors assist in finding the best help available.