Getting Sober About Making Merry

As the holiday season approaches amid daily increasing darkness, many factors can contribute to intentional or unintended overuse of alcohol. Wisconsin statistics are pretty scary; they range from dangerous binge drinking on our campuses (60 percent of 18 – 25 year old males) and daily local DUI listings to fatalities on local and nearby highways. We need to remind ourselves of the many risks in this behavior and get those rates down. Here are some current statistics:

• Alcoholism is the third leading cause of preventable death in the U.S. after smoking and obesity. Every year 85,000 deaths are attributed to alcohol at a cost of $185 billion.

• Alcoholism is about 2.5 times more prevalent in men, though in women its progression is more rapid and more often combined with affective disorders and prescription abuse.

• The U.S. National Longitudinal Alcohol Epidemiologic Study found a 7.5 – 9 percent abuse and dependency rate in the 2007 population, which is responsible for incidences such as: cirrhosis of the liver, motor vehicle accidents, mouth/oropharyngeal/esophageal cancers, liver cancer, breast cancer, homicides, suicides and hemorrhagic stroke.

In addition to the above statistics, the overuse of alcohol has a smattering of other harmful effects. Heavy alcohol consumption increases the risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension and fatal accidents. Binge drinking also significantly increases the risk of injury and contracting sexually transmitted diseases. Younger women who binge have higher risk of pregnancy and then harming their unborn child. Fetal alcohol syndrome, which occurs in about 2,000 infants yearly, is the leading known cause of mental retardation. Two-thirds of reported domestic violence and half of all violent crime involve alcohol abuse.

People with a drinking problem often minimize or deny their lack of control or fail to relate the consequences with alcohol consumption. Some people may be unaware of their higher risk from a positive family history, fear loss of employment if admitted to a program, or be too ashamed to ask for help. Women’s drinking problems are sometimes more difficult to diagnose or discover as they tend to have fewer financial, job or legal troubles than their male counterparts; however, a study of the U.S. Medicare population found hospitalizations from alcohol abuse were as common as those from cardiac problems.

Some warning signs include: drinking alone or early in the day; having more than one to three drinks; missing school or work; getting a DUI; slurred speech; “self-medicating” depression or anxiety; social withdrawal or lost relationships due to alcohol; blackouts; nausea; mental confusion; or an unsteady gait.

Many medical centers or clinics offer free, confidential assessments. Early diagnosis and treatment minimize the many health and life problems caused by excessive drinking, so let’s help make this a healthy holiday season with responsible drinking…or no drinking at all. Our children are watching. Santa, too!