NATIONAL ALCOHOL SCREENING DAY SET FOR APRIL 6

Alcohol abuse is an equal-opportunity problem, affecting men, women, young, old and those in every socio-economic bracket.

And with the large number of people with alcohol problems and the young age at which many start drinking, Tammy Inman, director of community services for the area's Family Counseling Centers, felt it was important for those centers to participate in National Alcohol Screening Day, set for April 6.

This is the second year for the Screening Day, but the first year that area Family Counseling Centers will participate in this national outreach program designed to educate people about alcohol use disorders, screen them for a range of problems including risky drinking and refer those in need to treatment resources.

According to the National Institute of Health's National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, nearly 14 million people in the United States -- 1 in every 13 adults -- abuse alcohol or are alcoholic and 3 million children ages 14 through 17 are regular drinkers who already have a confirmed alcohol problem.

While alcohol abuse can cause many of the same problems as abuse of illegal drugs, there is not the same stigma associated with drinking, even underage drinking, as there is other drugs, Inman said.

"In many parts of the Bootheel, it's a social norm for kids in high school and college to drink," she said.

Not only that, Inman said, but adolescents tend to be binge drinkers.

"With teen-agers, their intent is not to have a few drinks as an adult would do, their intent is to get drunk," she said.

Alcohol is the drug of choice among the nation's youth and it can have serious, often lifelong, consequences for them, their families and their communities, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

"Scientific evidence shows that the earlier children begin drinking, the more likely they are to develop serious alcohol problems in their lifetime," says Dr. Enoch Gordis, director of NIAAA.

According to the NIAAA, 40 percent of children who begin drinking before the age of 15 will become alcoholics at some point in their lives, more than 100,000 12- and 13 year-olds binge drink every month and 24 percent of eighth graders have used alcohol in the last 30 days.

The screening day is open to parents who think their children may have a drinking problem, as well as adults who think they or a loved one may have a drinking problem.

Researchers use the term "alcohol problems" to refer to any type of condition caused by drinking that harms the drinker directly, jeopardizes the drinker's well-being or places others at risk. Depending on the circumstances, alcohol problems can result from even moderate drinking -- when driving, during pregnancy or when taking certain medicines, for example. Alcohol problems exist on a continuum of severity ranging from occasional binge drinking to alcohol abuse or dependence (alcoholism).

According to information from the National Alcohol Screening Day program, following are signs someone may have an alcohol problem:

* Drinking to calm nerves, forget worries or to boost a sad mood.

* Guilt about drinking.

* Unsuccessful attempts to cut down/stop drinking.

* Lying about or hiding drinking habits.

* Causing harm to oneself or someone else as a result of drinking.

* Needing to drink increasingly greater amounts in order to achieve desired effect.

* Feeling irritable, resentful or unreasonable when not drinking.

* Medical, social, family or financial problems caused by drinking.

Harmful effects of alcohol include increased risk of high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease, certain cancers, accidents, violence, suicides, birth defects and overall mortality, Gordis said.

Harmful and hazardous drinking is involved in about one-third of suicides and child abuse cases and one-half of homicides, rapes and other sexual assaults. Alcohol is involved in a large proportion of unintentional deaths from falls, burns and drownings, according to NIAAA.

Economic costs to society are estimated at $167 billion annually, Gordis said.

Inman said the screening includes an educational presentation that takes about 40 minutes, a self-test that takes about 15 minutes and about 5 minutes to evaluate the test. There also will be pamphlets, brochures and flyers about alcohol problems available.

If the test shows there could be a problem, participants can be referred to an appropriate center or agency for more evaluation, counseling and treatment.

"Taking action against alcohol is not easy," said Nelba Chavez, administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. "But knowledge is the first step. Awareness and understanding -- the kind of outreach provided by the National Alcohol Screening Day program -- are key to halting the tide of alcohol problems across the country."

FREE SCREENINGS

Free anonymous screenings for alcohol problems as part of National Alcohol Screening Day will be held 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday at the following locations:

Family Counseling Center in Cape Girardeau, 20 S. Sprigg St.

Family Counseling Center in Kennett, 925 Highway VV.

Family Counseling Center in Poplar Bluff, 400 Vine St.

Family Counseling Center in Caruthersville, 10th and Ward, Suite C.

For more information, call Tammy Inman, director of community services, (573) 888-5925 ext. 120.

FOUR QUESTIONS

People with alcohol problems often answer "yes" to one or more of the following questions, according to the National Institutes of Health's National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism:

1. Have you ever felt that you should cut down on your drinking?

2. Have people annoyed you by criticizing your drinking?

3. Have you ever felt bad or guilty because of your drinking?

4. Have you ever had a drink first thing in the morning to steady your nerves or to get rid of a hangover?