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April is NCADD Alcohol Awareness Month

NCADD Alcohol Awareness Month, held every April, was founded by and has been sponsored by the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc. (NCADD) since 1987 to increase public awareness and understanding aimed at reducing the stigma associated with alcoholism that too often prevents individuals and families from seeking help.

For the 26th Anniversary of NCADD Alcohol Awareness Month, NCADD has chosen a theme recommended by our NCADD Affiliate in Carmel, New York, NCADD Putnam. "HEALTHY CHOICES, HEALTHY COMMUNITIES: PREVENT UNDERAGE DRINKING". Our theme is designed to draw attention to the pervasive impact that alcohol, alcohol-related problems and alcoholism have on young people, their friends, on families and in our communities.

More than 18 million individuals or 8.5% of Americans suffer from alcohol-use disorders. In addition, there are countless millions of individuals, family members and children who experience the devastating effects of the alcohol problem of someone in their life. In fact, 25% percent of U.S. children have been exposed to alcohol-use disorders in their family.

The economic cost of alcoholism and alcohol abuse has recently been estimated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to be $223.5 billion ($746 per person) or about $1.90 per drink (see more here.) Researchers found the costs largely resulted from losses in workplace productivity (72%), health care expenses for problems caused by excessive drinking (11%), law enforcement and other criminal justice expenses related to excessive alcohol consumption (9%), and motor vehicle crash costs from impaired driving (6%).

NCADD Focus on Underage Drinking: International Update

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For decades the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc. (NCADD) and our National Network of Affiliates have been engaged in national and community-based awareness, prevention, intervention and policy/advocacy efforts to reduce the risks and dangers of underage drinking.

Each year, approximately 5,000 young people under the age of 21 die as a result of underage drinking. This includes about 1,900 deaths from motor vehicle crashes, 1,600 as a result of homicides, 300 from suicide, and hundreds from other injuries such as falls, burns, and drownings.

And, approximately 600,000 college students are unintentionally injured while under the influence of alcohol. Approximately 700,000 students are assaulted by other students who have been drinking and about 100,000 students are victims of alcohol-related sexual assault or date rape (from NCADD Fact Sheet: Facts About Underage Drinking).

Unfortunately, in the United States there is a commonly held belief that our young people drink alcohol more frequently and experience more alcohol-related problems than do young people in Europe. And, as a result, this belief is often used as an argument in support of making alcohol policy changes in the United States. Included in the discussion of alcohol policy changes are the reduction or elimination of minimum drinking age laws and support for developing programs that teach young people how to drink alcohol “responsibly.”