The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence fights the stigma and the disease of alcoholism and other drug addictions.

NCADD News Release

For More Information, Contact: Ames Sweet, Director of Communications 212/269-7797, ext. 16

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For Immediate Release June 13, 2002

IS IGNORANCE REALLY BLISS? NEW YORK, NY -- A new national survey, published in the June 2002 issue of Annals of Emergency Medicine, found that the general public is unaware that alcohol policies are effective in reducing the risk of injuries and deaths involving alcohol. The research, conducted by the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Md., involved a telephone survey of 943 adults from across the United States. The poll found that while most adults are aware that alcohol is often involved in falls, drownings and poisonings, they were less informed about the effect of alcohol-control policies. For instance, only 21 percent of the respondents thought increasing alcohol taxes would prevent unintentional deaths, even though strong evidence shows that traffic fatalities decline as alcohol taxes rise. In addition, those surveyed were equally split over whether raising the legal drinking age to 21 had led to fewer deaths, while studies have shown that higher drinking ages have prevented more than 20,000 deaths during the last quarter century. Dr. Deborah C. Girasek, lead author of the study, said the findings show that the public is often not made aware of the science supporting alcohol-control policies. “We in the field have got to do a better job of communicating with the general public, letting them know that treatment and advocacy do work when it comes to alcoholism,” said Stacia Murphy, president of the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence. “Having facts and figures at our disposal is one thing, but passing that information on to the general public in such a way that they understand it is another. Communication is always a two-way street, and we need to make sure that the information we are presenting to the general public is being received.” In an editorial titled “Alcohol still kills!” that accompanies the study in Annals of Emergency Medicine, authors Roy D. Ary, MD, Marlena M. Wald, MLS, MPH, and Wesley Rutland-Brown, MPH, noted that “Studies can produce all the ‘conclusive data’ imaginable, but unless the applicability and importance of these studies are impressed on society, the results of the research will be negligible. Alcohol still kills far too many people, and we believe something can be done about it “We must work to counteract the promotional efforts by the alcohol beverage industry. Advertisements for alcohol depict healthy people in an active life-style. These ads neglect to inform society of the health risks involved in alcohol use. Without an ‘equal time’ message, where is the public to get a balanced view? Alcohol manufacturers are intent on selling their product. Although they might want to promote their definition of ‘responsible’ drinking, the bottom line is that they want to make money. For these reasons, various advertisements appeal to nearly every sector of society,and all of them show only one side of the story: the perceived potential benefits of alcohol use. As physicians, it is our duty to tell the other side of the story. We must educate people of all ages about the dangers of alcohol “The fact is, alcohol can and does kill.” Founded in 1944, NCADD fights the stigma and the disease of alcoholism and other drug addictions. With offices in New York and Washington, DC, NCADD provides education, information, help and hope to the public, and advocates prevention, intervention, and treatment through a nationwide network of over 95 Affiliates. For more information, visit www.ncadd.org or contact Ames Sweet, Director of Communications, via email communications@ncadd.org or at 212/269-7797, ext. 16. ###

National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc.

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