Alcohol Awareness Month

Alcohol Awareness Month

Written by: Lee Ann Heathcoat, MSEd, LCPC

April kicks off alcohol awareness month for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). I wanted to take some time to review information related to alcohol and bring awareness and understanding to alcohol use and misuse.
  
According to data from the 2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, among the 137.4 million respondents aged 12 and older self-reporting current use of alcohol, 44.5% reported binge drinking, with the most prevalent age category being 18-25 years old (29.5%). Among people 12-20 years old, 15.1% used alcohol in the past month. Estimates of binge alcohol use and heavy alcohol use in the past month among underage people were 8.2% and 1.7%, respectively. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate about 178,000 people die from excessive alcohol use in the U.S. each year (SAMHSA, 2024).

Let's review how SAMHSA classifies a standard drink of alcohol:

• 12 ounces of beer (5% alcohol content)
• 8 ounces of malt liquor (7% alcohol content)
• 5 ounces of wine (12% alcohol content)
• 1.5 ounces or a "shot" of 80-proof (40% alcohol content) distilled liquor (gin, rum, vodka, whiskey, etc). (SAMHSA, 2024) Increasing awareness of how much alcohol is consumed can aid in assessing if an individual is using alcohol in excess. 

Signs of Using Too Much Alcohol:

• You drink more or longer than intended 
• You try and cut down or stop drinking but aren't able to 
• You continue to drink even though it adds to other mental or physical health problems 
• Individuals you love and trust have commented about your usage of alcohol 
• You spend a lot of time thinking about or drinking alcohol
• Usage of alcohol impacts your ability to complete daily activities with work, friends, family, or recreational activities 
• You may experience legal problems related to alcohol
• You have experienced symptoms of withdrawal (increased sweating, tremors, headache, decreased anxiety/irritability, and/or insomnia) when you do not use alcohol. (SAMHSA, 2024).

If reading the information provided above resonated with you and you may be struggling with alcohol use, reach out. I’d like to connect and find out more about how I can support you on your journey.

References

Alcohol Awareness Month. (n.d.). Alcohol Awareness Month. SAMHSA. Retrieved April 17, 2024, https://www.samhsa.gov/newsroom/observances/alcohol-awareness-month

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