National Alcohol Awareness Month

April is National Alcohol Awareness Month. It may sound like a great time to support your local brew pub and get a drink with friends, that’s not what the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has in mind. It is a time to be aware of the risks of alcohol misuse. The consequences vary from person to person, but none of them are good. Alcohol is a toxin and doesn’t improve your health at any level of intake. While study results are mixed on the degree of harm with alcohol use, increased consumption of alcohol means increased risk. The people at highest risk are young people and older folks. We recognize the risk alcohol poses to children, but older folks are also at high risk. With age, our liver and kidneys are less efficient at eliminating toxins, and alcohol hits harder and takes longer to clear.  

Take some time this month to talk to the preteens and teenagers in your life about the importance of avoiding alcohol and the risks associated with drinking. Think about your parents and grandparents, and the age-related changes they already have. If they have balance issues or slower reaction times, they are at much greater risk of injury if they drink alcohol. Drinking and driving is never safe, regardless of age. There is no safe level of alcohol consumption while pregnant.

Alcohol increases the risk of many cancers including breast, esophageal, colon, liver, and pancreas. It is also associated with many non-cancerous and pre-cancerous diseases, including liver disease, gall stones, gout, kidney disease, bone marrow suppression, bleeding stomach ulcers, and diabetes. Alcohol is responsible for many traumatic injuries and deaths as a result of impaired driving, excess risk taking, and falls. There is a higher risk of physical altercations under the influence of alcohol. Alcohol can cause mood disorders including anxiety, depression, suicide, and dementia. 

If you drink alcohol, it’s a good time to consider when, why, and where you use alcohol. Ask yourself if alcohol use is serving your goals or impeding them. If you ever regret drinking, wonder if you drink too much, or need a drink “to get going” in the morning, your drinking is likely a problem. Guidelines recommend men drink no more than two drinks in a day and women drink no more than one drink a day. It is more harmful to drink five drinks per week all on one day than to drink one drink five days a week. 

If you wonder whether your drinking is a problem, there are resources available. Call your primary care provider, typically your first resource for any health concern. Mental health counselors are helpful when trying to change substance use habits. They can help you modify behaviors and avoid triggers and evaluate for underlying causes of substance use. Go to the Wyoming Department of Health Substance Use Community Resource page to find a provider near you. The Substance Use Ombudsman at (307) 777-5817 or toll free at 1-800-535-4006 is another great resource. Many people find help through local Alcoholics Anonymous groups, which are free of charge. The first step to a better life is reaching out for help.