Mar. 18, 1987
Alcohol Awareness/A special insert to the Capital Times
Are You A Problem Drinker?
.By Denise Reinas
Ethyl alcohol is one of the most widely abused
drugs in America. Approximately 105 million Americans
(age 18 and up) are drinkers, and it is estimated that about
10% of American drinkers (approximately 10 million
people) may experience problem drinking or become
alcholics. '
The definition of alcoholism, given by the
American Medical Association, is "an illness characterized
by significant impairment that is directly associated with
persistent and excessive use of alcohol." Alcohol is
addicting. With continuous use, the body learns to adjust
to alcohol, and this could very well lead to addiction and
alcoholism.
For the alcoholic or problem drinker, intox
ication may not be the only result of drinking. Other
results may be injury or death, job loss, quarreling and
fighting with friends and family members, loss of friends
and family members, and diseases associated with
excessive drinking. There are many problems which can
result from alcoholism, but they can be avoided and/or
corrected if the alcoholic becomes aware of his/her
problem and wants to correct it.
WHAT KIND OF DRINKER ARE YOU?*
Take this test and find out for yourself.
Directions--Check the appropriate space to the left of each
question.
YES NQ
If you had four or more "yes" answers, you may
be one of the 10 million Americans with a drinking
problem.
* Source: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Al
coholism.
Once the alcoholic becomes aware of his/her
problem and decides that he/she wants help, the first step
is to find out what treatment and intervention is all about.
There are also programs available that help the family of
the alcoholic to deal with related problems.
Al-Anon is a program that encourages family
members to find an acceptable life-style for themselves
despite the alcoholic's actions. Also, Al-Anon tries to
help family members understand their own inappropriate
responses toward the alcoholic and teaches behavior that
may possibly lead the alcoholic back to health.
Al-Ateen is similar to Al-Anon but is directed
specifically towards teenagers with an alcoholic parent.
1. Do you think about drinking often?
2. Do you drink more now than you used
to?
I Do you sometimes gulp your drinks?
4. Do you often take a drink to help you
relax?
5. Do you drink often when you are alone?
6. Do you sometimes forget what happened
while you were drinking?
7. Do you keep a bottle hidden somewhere
--at home or at work--for a quick pick
me-up?
8. Do you need a drink to have fun?
9. Do you ever just start drinking without
really thinking about it?
10. Do you drink in the morning to relieve
a hangover?
Capital Times
By Jan Travers
The key to curbing
alcoholism in this country is
establishing standards of moderation,
according to a Penn State,
Harrisburg professor.
Dr. James Rooney,
associate professor of sociology and
a member of the board of Dauphin
County Drug and Alcohol Services,
said we have looked at alcohol for
too long in a good and bad light.
"The standards are ambivalent,"
Rooney charged.
By this, he meant that we
condemn drunkenness at the same
time as we laugh at it. "W.C.
Fields made his living portraying
drunks," said Rooney. So has
Foster Brooks and Dean Martin. In
many of the soaps and evening
dramas we see people drinking
heavily for relief when pressure or
'roblems invade their lives. "The
"People are more
responsive to peer
pressure than to
rules."
problem with this is that in the
drama, when the problem is solved,
the heavy drinking stops. This is
not necessarily the case," said
Rooney.
Rooney, who has done
extensive research in alcohol abuse
and addiction, recommended three
things to do if you suspect you need
help with an alcohol problem.
First, go to a treatment center for an
evaluation. In Central Pennsylvania
alone, there are 14 different public
agencies alone. In addition, quit
drinking for 60 days and when you
Each member is sponsored by an Al-Anon or AA member
and is taught to deal with his/her problem much like the
other programs teach.
Alcoholics Anonymous is for the alcoholic
himself, although anyone who is interested may attend an
open meeting. AA's main stress is on abstinence from
alcohol.
All of these programs, Al-Anon, Al-Ateen, and
AA are self-help groups; they are not professional
programs with trained family therapists; they are a
grouping of people with similar problems who support
each other. These meetings can be found in virtually every
community, day or night, up to seven days a week.
Drunks Are Not Very Funny
do drink, don't drink more than three
drinks in any one day. "If you can't
stop after three on consecutive days,
you need help," said Rooney.
Is education the key to
decreasing the alcohol abuse
problem? Rooney said not entirely.
A survey done by him in the late
seventies analyzed chinking habits of
high school students in five states.
Rooney found that the states where
the drinking age was higher, 20 and
21, had a higher proportion of
students who drank illegally than the
three states whose drinking age was
18 years old. "The law has an
opposite effect than intended," said
Rooney.
"Formal rules don't work
well," said Rooney. Rather than
this, he thinks campaigns like
"Friends don't let friends drive
drunk" are more effective. "People
are more responsive to peer pressure
than to rules," said Rooney,
pointing out that there is only a 1 in
1,000 chance of being stopped by a
police officer while driving under the
influence.
However, programs like the
"designated driver" program, though
well intended, can also send mixed
signals. It is designed that a group
who is going out on the town have
one person who promises not to
drink, and will be responsible for
seeing the others get home safely.
The problem with this, said
Rooney, is the drinkers won't get in
trouble with the law but it gives the
drinkers a green light that they can
drink as much as they want. "We
are setting inconsistent standards in
our society," said Rooney.
These standards must be
changed. We must stop condoning
drunkenness before we can cure the
problem. Moderation is the key.
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