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April 1, 2015

 

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Jennifer Miller, 608-266-1683

 

 

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Pay Attention to Your Alcohol Use

 

April is Alcohol Awareness Month

 

 

 

The use and misuse of alcohol remains one of Wisconsin’s most serious public health issues, the State Department of Health Services announced today, the first day of April Alcohol Awareness Month.

“This is a time for all state residents to be mindful of how they use alcohol and how alcohol may impact their life, their family, and their community,” said DHS Secretary Kitty Rhoades. “Deaths, injuries, and property damage from drinking alcohol are preventable. If you are over 21 and drink alcohol, consider the health and safety consequences, and drink in moderation.”

According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, moderate alcohol consumption is defined as having up to one drink per day for women and up to two drinks per day for men. This definition is referring to the amount consumed on any single day and is not intended as an average over several days.  Individual reactions to alcohol vary, and people can have problems drinking less than these amounts, particularly if they drink too quickly or combine alcohol with over-the-counter and/or prescribed medications. Women who are pregnant or plan on becoming pregnant should refrain from drinking alcohol.

Wisconsin’s rates of annual alcohol consumption per person and binge drinking are well above national averages.

• In 2012, Wisconsin’s alcohol consumption rate was equivalent to 346 servings of beer, 73 servings of wine, and 241 servings of liquor or 660 standard drinks.  The national average was 513. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism defines a standard drink as 12-ounces of beer, 5-ounces of wine, or 1.5-ounces of distilled spirits or liquor.
• Twenty-three percent of Wisconsin adults binge drink, the second highest rate in the country. The national rate of adult binge drinking is 17 percent. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism defines binge drinking as a pattern of drinking that brings a person’s blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to 0.08 grams percent or above. This typically happens when men consume 5 or more standard drinks, and when women consume 4 or more standard drinks, in about 2 hours. Wisconsin binge drinkers often consume two to five drinks over these thresholds during a binge, according to the Wisconsin Epidemiological Profile of Alcohol and Other Drug Use, 2014.

To be more aware of the role of alcohol in your life, consider taking these steps this month:

• Keep track of how much you drink.
• Don’t drink when you are upset.
• Avoid places where people drink a lot.

April Alcohol Awareness Month is a national observance with two special events. Alcohol-Free Weekend is April 3-6.  Alcohol Screening Day, April 9, is an event hosted by many health care providers and colleges that provides information about alcohol as well as free anonymous screening for alcohol use problems.

If you are worried that alcohol may be harming your health or that your drinking patterns are putting you at risk, help is available. Treatment works and people can and do recover.
     
Follow DHS on Twitter(link is external) for more information on Alcohol Awareness Month.