InnerAct Alliance is joining with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to raise awareness about alcohol-related harms and encourage community-wide strategies to prevent alcohol use during National Alcohol Awareness Month in April. While national figures continue to show a downward trend in the number of youth who drink alcohol, it remains the number one drug of choice for America's youth.
Alcohol is the fourth-leading cause of preventable death in the U.S., according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAA). Alcohol-related statistics are sobering as the Centers for Disease Control reports over 140,000 people each year die from excessive alcohol use and, on average, it shortens the lives of those who die by up to 26 years. Further numbers show that 11,654 Americans lost their lives in alcohol-related car crashes in 2020 (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, NHTSA).
Alcohol Awareness Month presents an opportunity to talk openly about the dangers of alcohol misuse. Especially harmful is alcohol consumption in excess, which includes Binge Drinking (5 or more drinks for men - 4 or more drinks for women during an occasion) and Heavy Drinking (15 or more drinks for men - 8 or more drinks for women per week).
Alcohol can be especially harmful to pregnant women and their unborn child and to youth under age 21 because their brains are still developing through their mid-twenties.
Drinking to excess is associated with: Violence - Sexual risk behaviors - Alcohol poisoning - Injuries, such as motor vehicle crashes - Cancer and Liver disease - High blood pressure - Alcohol use disorder.
The Centers for Disease Control collaborates with communities across the U.S. to inform and prevent excessive alcohol use and its impact. The informative CDC State Alcohol Fact Sheet (shown above) helps to highlight public health issues and the status of alcohol policy solutions in each area. It is important to be aware of how alcohol use and abuse affects us here in the Sunshine State and across our nation.
The Community Preventive Services Task Force recommends evidence-based strategies to prevent excessive alcohol use and related harms which include increasing alcohol taxes, regulating the number and concentration of places that sell alcohol, and initiating other policies to reduce the availability and accessibility of alcohol.
InnerAct Alliance and our coalition partners, StandUP Polk and UthMpact, work alongside national, state, and local authorities and prevention collaborators to educate youth and adults about the dangers of alcohol and substance use. Citizens can support local prevention efforts by inviting a representative from InnerAct Alliance to share a free education program with their school, PTA, community organization, or business.
Other opportunities for involvement include volunteering at prevention events or making a tax-deductible donation to help educate more Polk County students about the harmful effects of alcohol and substance use. Visit our website at www.inneractalliance.org or call (863) 802-0777 for details.
Other opportunities for involvement include volunteering at prevention events or making a tax-deductible donation to help educate more Polk County students about the harmful effects of alcohol and substance use. Visit our website at www.inneractalliance.org or call (863) 802-0777 for details.
To learn more about Alcohol Awareness Month and informative facts related to alcohol and substance use, please visit the CDC website at https://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/index.htm
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