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

National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc. HISTORY OF ALCOHOL AWARENESS MONTH

Alcohol Awareness Month, sponsored by the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence since 1987, encourages local communities to focus on alcoholism and alcohol-related issues. Alcohol Awareness Month began as a way of reaching the American public with information about the disease of alcoholism - that it is a treatable disease, not a moral weakness, and that alcoholics are capable of recovery. As a national public awareness campaign, Alcohol Awareness Month has featured honorary chairpersons such as Senator George McGovern, Dr. David Satcher, the former Surgeon General, Barry McCaffrey, the Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, and New York Yankees baseball star Derek Jeter. A primary focus of Alcohol Awareness Month over the years has been Underage Drinking and the devastating effects it can have on our youth. An integral part of Alcohol Awareness Month has been Alcohol-Free Weekend, which takes place on the first weekend of April. Alcohol-Free Weekend is designed to raise public awareness about the use of alcohol and how it may be affecting individuals, families, and businesses. During Alcohol-Free Weekend, NCADD extends an open invitation to all Americans to engage in three alcohol-free days. Those who experience difficulty or discomfort in this 72-hour experiment are urged to contact local NCADD affiliates, Alcoholics Anonymous and Al-Anon to learn more about alcoholism and its early symptoms. Essentially, it is a community consciousness-raising effort about alcoholism and health related issues and may serve as a trigger to recovery.

National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc.

244 East 58th Street, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10022 phone: 212/269-7797   fax: 212/269-7510 email: national@ncadd.org   http://www.ncadd.org HOPE LINE: 800/NCA-CALL (24-hour Affiliate referral)