Alcohol Awareness Month

Alcohol Awareness Month is a health awareness campaign established in 1987 by the National Council for Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD).  In addition to raising awareness, Alcohol Awareness Month seeks to educate communities about the causes of alcohol use disorder, educate people how the disease can be addressed, and to reduce social stigma.

What is Alcohol Use Disorder?

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a medical condition characterized by an impaired ability to stop or control alcohol use despite adverse social, occupational, or health consequences.  Learn about Alcohol Use Disorder here and Make a Difference: Talk to Your Child About Alcohol from NIH.

What Increases the Risk of AUD?

There are a couple of factors that determine a person’s risk for developing AUD such as how much, how often, and how quickly a person consumes alcohol.  Over time binge drinking and heavy alcohol use increases the risk of AUD.  Other factors include:

• Drinking at an early age.
• Genetics and family history of alcohol problems.
• Mental health conditions and a history of trauma.

How is AUD Addressed?

If you or someone you love is struggling with a dependency on alcohol, the NIAAA Alcohol Treatment Navigator is a supportive resource for families to find evidence-based care: https://alcoholtreatment.niaaa.nih.gov/

Reducing Social Stigma

When families struggle with addiction, the stigma they experience hurts the children.  Children should be given enough information – in language they can understand – to validate their experience and provide support, but not too much that they end up confused and overwhelmed.  Helping children understand what addiction is, and that it isn’t their fault, can lessen the impact of stigma.  Learn what a top stigma researcher has to say here.

NACoA’s contribution to Alcohol Awareness Month will be devoted to raising awareness of alcohol’s devastating impact on millions of children and families.

Alcohol misuse in the family hurts the children first, but they are last to get help. If you find yourself or your friends drinking excessively, be aware that this is likely to have a profound effect on your child’s future relationship with alcohol and your relationship with your child. If your drinking is causing problems in your relationships with your children or your spouse, you are strongly encouraged to seek a professional evaluation to assess not only your risk for problem drinking, but also your child’s risk for problem drinking in the future, often fueled by the chronic emotional stress of living with a parent with a drinking problem. Download the Kit for Kids, read it with a child you love who is impacted by parental alcohol addiction, and become a safe person in the child’s life. Join us on Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter for timely Alcohol Awareness Month messages to share with your loved ones and community.