10 Facts About Alcoholism

Proverbs 20:1 Wine is a mocker and beer a brawler; whoever is led astray by them is not wise.

April is Alcoholism Awareness Month and American University of Health Sciences (AUHS) encourages people to practice moderation, find strength and courage to abstain from drugs and alcohol, and to seek treatment for addiction. We pray that those who suffer from alcohol and drug addiction will find love, forgiveness, and a renewed mind through Christ so that they may begin their road to recovery.

Alcohol Awareness Month was established in 1987 by the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc. (NCADD) to encourage the American public to seek information about alcohol, to understand the consequences of alcoholism, and learn how one can recover from alcohol addiction. Alcohol Awareness Month provides a “focused opportunity” to “decrease stigma and misunderstandings (of alcoholism) in order to dismantle the barriers to treatment and recovery” and “make seeking help more readily available to those who suffer from this disease,” according to the NCADD’s official website.

Drinking too much alcohol can take a serious toll on your body. Here is a list of 10 facts about alcoholism and how consuming excessive amounts of alcohol can negatively impact your health.

1. Excessive alcohol use accounts for 88,000 deaths each year, according to Risky alcohol use is common in America. 29% of adults in the U.S. consume too much alcohol, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). More than 38 million Americans binge drink, and on average they do it four times a month and drink 8 drinks per occasion.
2. Drinking irresponsibly or risky alcohol use is costly. In 2010, risky alcohol use cost the United States about $249 billion, according to the CDC.
3. 80 percent of criminals abuse drugs or alcohol and nearly 50 percent of jail and prison inmates are clinically addicted, according to NCADD.
4. Every day, roughly 30 people in America dies in motor vehicle crashes involving an alcohol-impaired driver. This amounts to one death every 51 minutes, according to the CDC.
5. Women who binge drink are more likely to have unprotected sex and multiple sex partners which increase the risks of unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), according to the CDC.
6. Alcohol disrupts the brain’s communication pathways and can affect the way the brain looks and works, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). These interruptions can change one’s mood and behavior, making it difficult to think clearly and move with coordination.
7. Drinking too much alcohol can weaken your immune system, making your body vulnerable to disease, according to NIAAA. Chronic drinkers are more susceptible to pneumonia and tuberculosis than occasional drinkers.  Drinking excessively on a single occasion will slow your body’s ability to ward off infections up to 24 hours after getting drunk.
8. Heavy drinking damages the liver and can lead to a variety of problems and liver inflammations including steatosis or “fatty liver”, alcoholic hepatitis, fibrosis, and cirrhosis.
9. Drinking alcohol in excess can increase your risk of developing certain cancers, including cancers of the mouth, esophagus, throat, liver, and breast.
10. Overtime, alcohol abuse can damage the heart, causing problems such as cardiomyopathy- the stretching and drooping of the heart muscle, arrhythmias- irregular heartbeat, stroke, and high blood pressure.

Remember, you are not alone. If you or a loved one suffer from alcohol and drug addiction, it is not too late to get the help that you need. Take your first step to recovery and reach out to the following organizations.

• Alcoholics Anonymous of Long Beach, CA

3450 E Spring St, Long Beach, CA 90806

Phone: (562) 989-7697

• Alcoholics Anonymous of Los Angeles, CA

4311 Wilshire Blvd #104, Los Angeles, CA 90010

Phone: (323) 936-4343

• Alcohol Education and Recovery Center
  1355 S. Redondo Avenue, Suite 3, Long Beach, CA 90804
  Phone: (562) 986-5046
• Harbor Area High Gain, Inc.
  315-A E. 11th Street, Long Beach, CA 90813
  Phone: (562) 436-9801
• Safety Consultant Services, Inc.
  5518 N. Long Beach Boulevard, Long Beach, CA 90805
  Phone: (562) 428-6426

About American University of Health Sciences

AUHS is a Christian based, minority-serving university, which educates students for careers in the healthcare professions. AUHS emphasizes the values of faith in God, love of humankind, and belief that all people have a right to healthcare and deserve a good quality of life based on wellness of body, mind and spirit. The university celebrates diversity, and reaches out to groups currently underrepresented in healthcare and research. AUHS provides the undergraduate and graduate curriculum, hands-on practical training and supportive environment required to create competent and compassionate healthcare professionals.

American University of Health Sciences is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC), 985 Atlantic Avenue, Suite 100, Alameda, CA 94501, 510.748.9001.

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