What is the most important alcohol information that an individual can apply in his or her daily life?  Might it be that one instance of binge drinking can result in a fatal alcohol overdose?  Perhaps it is knowing the difference between alcohol abuse and alcoholism.

Some people would say that the most important bit of alcohol information is the fact that the earlier an individual begins drinking the more likely he or she will engage in excessive and abusive drinking?  On the other hand, maybe it is knowing about fetal alcohol syndrome and how to avoid this totally preventable disease.

From a different perspective, some would argue that the most important bit of alcohol information is that alcohol abuse can and does eventually lead to alcohol addiction.

While all of the above topics are significant and relevant, I believe that the most important bit of alcohol information that we can incorporate into our daily lives is this:  drinking to an excess, even if it is one time, often results in unhealthy and damaging outcomes.

It sounded like a morbid subject–and it was.  Mrs. Channing decided to call her lecture “alcohol related deaths” and after much vacillation, finally decided to present this important information to her eleventh grade health class.

Morbid or not, Mrs. Channing could tell that she secured the interest of every student in the class.  For instance, during her lecture there wasn’t one interruption and when the “questions and answers” part the class began and it seemed like every pupil in the class had a question to ask.  And when Mrs. Channing discussed some of the specific fatalities caused by irresponsible and abusive drinking such as fatal alcohol poisoning and alcohol related cancer, her students seemed so very attentive.

All things considered, Mrs. Bell was delighted with the response she received and, as a consequence, she told the class that she would work on five more lectures on the same topic.  What is more, Mrs. Channing determined that “alcohol related deaths” and how hazardous and excessive drinking often results in premature fatalities would be one of the topics that she would teach every year.

What is the most effective way to create and implement an alcohol abuse prevention program?  Some individuals would argue that education is the best way to prevent alcohol abuse.  In truth, some individuals advocate that students who are taught about the adverse effects of alcohol abuse may be less inclined to drink in an abusive or excessive manner.

What, however, is the most effective way to “reach” adults about alcohol abuse prevention?  Due to the fact that the vast majority of adults are no longer students, how can most adults learn more about alcohol abuse prevention so that they can abstain from hazardous and abusive drinking?

Should adults learn how to avoid alcohol abuse via TV ads and documentaries, special alcohol abuse programs on the radio, or via the printed media such as magazines and newspapers?  Would the Internet be a good way to present alcohol abuse information to adults?  What about community education classes that provide all residents with relevant and accurate alcohol abuse information as a way to teach people how to avoid the health problems and the dangers that are linked to excessive and abusive drinking?

Perhaps the “best” way to effectively reach and teach all of our students and adults about the negative effects of alcohol abuse is a combination of all of the above ideas. Indeed, the prevention of something as complex and pervasive as alcohol abuse requires a multi-faceted, comprehensive approach.

Chad was the center fielder on a professional baseball team.  Not unlike most of his teammates, he was a ballplayer and a family man during the home games but when the team traveled and went out-of-town, his time was spent playing baseball, staying in the hotel, and going to various bars and nightclubs with his fellow teammates.

One night when his team was playing a team on the West coast, Chad asked one his teammates if he ever became worried about the long term effects of alcohol.

As articulated by Chad, “just think for a moment how much we drink while we are on the road and away from our families.  This clearly can’t be good for our baseball skills from a short term perspective and it obviously can’t be very healthy from a long-term vantage point.  Do you think that our abusive drinking could be leading to various drinking problems?  Is there a possibility that we might become alcohol dependent if we continue drinking in a hazardous and excessive manner?”

Grady, the other player, thought that it might be a good idea for both of them to talk to the team trainer for some additional information and insight about alcohol abuse and alcoholism.  Chad agreed, said that they should follow through on this the next day, and then started to prepare for the game.

Patti started to drink when she was twenty-six years old.  That’s the positive news.  The negative news is that when Patti decided to start drinking, she drank quite excessively, almost as if she were making up for the time when she didn’t drink as an adolescent or as a young adult.

Due to her abusive drinking, however, she has begun to experience a number of adverse alcohol effects.  For example, she has suffered through many hangovers, she failed an alcohol test at work, and she doesn’t have her usual energy when she gets up in the morning.

As a consequence, Patti finally decided to call her physician and schedule an appointment in order to discuss her drinking problem.  Hopefully her physician will give Patti a thorough physical exam and insist that she significantly reduce her drinking.

At this point, what are her options?  If she can’t change her ways and drink in moderation, she will probably need to eventually get alcohol treatment.

Jack and Michelle have been married for thirty-eight years.  Now that both of them are retired, they have several friends over for parties and for special events such as the Super Bowl, the Olympics, American Idol, the World Series, and the Masters Golf Tournament.

Michelle and Jack have been social drinkers most of their adult lives.  When they have their special parties and get-togethers, then again, hardly anyone drinks in moderation.  In other words, their special parties are basically invitations for abusive and excessive drinking.

Now that they are in their late sixties, they are beginning to see some of the adverse effects of alcohol in their lives.  For example, they are certain that their irresponsible and abusive drinking has negatively affected their finances as well as their health.

Due to the fact that they have become more health-conscious in the past five or ten years, they agreed with one another that they would quit drinking abusively and excessively and would instead drink in moderation at all times, particularly during their parties and their special events.

Both Michelle and Jack were pleased with this decision because they addressed their drinking problem and came up with a doable and logical solution.

Melissa was a fifth-grade student in the smallest elementary school in the city.  Because of the number of alcohol-related problems that had been displayed by pre-teens and teenagers in the local community, elementary school students were learning about the dangers and health issues associated with alcohol abuse and alcoholism as early as the fourth grade.

One day while Mr. Blackwell, Melissa’s teacher, was going over the adverse outcomes of abusive and hazardous drinking he decided to make a lateral move and teach the class about alcohol poisoning.

When Mr. Blackwell started talking about some of the basic alcohol poisoning symptoms that a person can exhibit, Melissa raised her hand and asked if getting drunk automatically meant that the drinker would manifest some of the alcohol poisoning symptoms.

This provided Mr. Blackwell with a nice transition into a discussion of blood alcohol level and how every individual is different in the way he or she responds to excessive and abusive drinking.

There are many negative effects of alcohol abuse and alcoholism but perhaps the worst is that chronic, repetitive, and abusive drinking can destroy everything of significance in an individual’s life, including his or her existence.

I therefore view alcohol abuse and alcoholism as false prophets:   “Do you need some extra confidence?  If so, drink a few glasses of wine and you will feel as assertive as you desire.”  “Come drink with me and I will gladly take your pain away.”  “If you are going through some extremely difficult times in your life just drink seven or eight bottles of beer and you will forget about all of your problems.”  “If you feel too much stress in life, come drink with me and you will experience almost instant relaxation.”

These, then, are some of the messages that are pronounced by the false prophets known as alcohol abuse and alcoholism.  Why are these messages false?  Mainly because they are somewhat accurate for a brief time but over time, every one of these messages becomes an even more complex issue or source of pain and frustration than what led to the abusive and hazardous drinking episode in the first place.

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How does something that makes you feel so fantastic become so bad for your health?” asked Sandra in her junior health class in college.  “You get that warm feeling, you begin to feel like everyone is your friend, and you feel like your problems are going away.

Then a few years later, the negative effects of alcohol abuse or alcoholism wreck havoc with just about everything of value in your life.

Isn’t there anything in life that is good for you no matter how many times you drink it, smoke it, eat it, or do it?” continued Sandra.  “To be candid, if I knew that I wouldn’t become alcohol dependent, I would get drunk every night” Sandra claimed.

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Jason was a sophomore at an all-boys Catholic high school located on the South side of town.  Unbelievably, Jason had a lot of fifteen and sixteen year old friends who were already involving themselves in hazardous and excessive drinking.  So when he was asked what his subject would be for his English composition class, he selected the following topic: teenage alcohol abuse.

Although Jason found some relatively recent books on teen alcohol abuse at the school library and at the public library downtown, most of his research, however, was done via the Internet.

Perhaps the greatest insight he got while researching his topic was the statistic that stated that the later teenagers start to drink, the less likely they will involve themselves in excessive and abusive drinking when they become adults.

Kathy has been an excessive drinker her entire adult life.  Now that she is almost forty-five years old, she is beginning to become more health conscious and actually wants to learn more about the negative effects of alcohol abuse and alcoholism.

For example, is it possible for a long-term abusive drinker to significantly reduce her drinking and start to drink in moderation?  Is her drinking negatively affecting her circulatory system? Is her drinking adversely affecting her sex life?  Are heart problems and strokes linked to heavy drinking?  Has she involved herself in binge drinking? Is her excessive drinking adversely affecting her organs and bodily systems?  Is she running the risk of becoming alcohol dependent if she continues her heavy drinking?

By asking these questions, Kathy has concluded that her irresponsible and abusive drinking has probably contributed more to her health problems than any thing else she has done.  And now, she wants to reverse or stop the damage so that she can live in a healthier, more productive manner.

Jeff and Kayla got married two years after they graduated from high school.  They have been married for five years and they don’t have any children.  Even though they both work, they also make it a point to party during the week and especially on the weekends.

Jeff and Kayla have developed a circle of friends that as often as possible engages in excessive and abusive drinking.  Indeed, it seems as if there’s always a special event or a party to go to where drinks will be served.

As a consequence of their lifestyle, Jeff and Kayla drink almost every day after work.  Due to the fact that they are so young, however, it came as a kind of a shock when Kayla told her Mom that she is starting to feel the negative effects of alcohol abuse.  Stated differently, Kayla thinks she has a drinking problem that is starting to rear its ugly head.

Kayla’s Mom immediately told Kayla that it would probably be a good idea if she were to get a complete physical by her physician and make sure to talk to him about her problem drinking.  As Kayla’s mother put it “its wise to prevent something before it gets out of control and becomes a serious problem.”

“Wow, what a terrible hangover” Brad told himself when he awakened one Saturday morning.  Brad really got drunk the previous night and started to wonder if he might be alcohol dependent.  After all, he usually drank everyday and he often caught himself lying to his family and to his friends about his drinking problems.  In short, Brad started to wonder if his excessive and hazardous drinking might be signs of alcoholism.

After worrying about his drinking for a few days, he finally got up enough nerve to schedule an appointment with his primary doctor at the Veteran’s Administration to discuss his problem drinking.  The positive news is that as soon as he got off the phone with the scheduling person, he felt a “rush” of optimism that he hadn’t experienced in a long time.  Maybe now, Brad will address his excessive and abusive drinking and finally decide to do something positive about it.

“What are the symptoms of alcoholism?” Janet asked Megan, her drinking friend.  “Is it possible that we are becoming alcohol dependent?”  Megan thought about these questions for a few seconds and then told Janet that they might in fact be addicted to alcohol but that they need to find out the facts from someone who an alcoholism professional or a doctor.

“Do you think we should talk to counselor Paterson at school?” wondered Megan.  “I heard from my boyfriend Paul that Miss Paterson is “approachable” and is particularly knowledgeable about drug and alcohol addiction.  Let’s go and talk with her tomorrow” Janet added.

So both girls went to school the next day and stopped in to talk to counselor Paterson after school.  Miss Paterson called the lab at the local hospital and scheduled a series of tests the girls would take the next morning that would help determine the extent of their abusive drinking and whether they are alcohol abusers or dependent on alcohol.

After talking to Miss Paterson, both girls were much relieved and felt good about themselves for finally deciding to address their drinking problems.

On the bus on the way to school one morning, Johnny and Emily were discussing the various drinking problems that people exhibit.  Emily said that there is more relevant alcohol info than what exists on the Internet, in the textbooks, and in the news.

Emily said that within each community, there’s an abundance of alcohol abuse and alcoholism information that is available via the lives of individuals who drink excessively and abusively and that without input from these individuals, one’s alcohol abuse and alcoholism education is incomplete.

At first Johnny didn’t comprehend what Emily was saying.  The more he listened to her and thought about things, however, he realized that an individual can get a remarkable education about alcoholism and alcohol abuse by tapping into the experiences of people who engage in hazardous and abusive drinking.

While waiting to see her healthcare practitioner, Nancy started to read an article in the Wall Street Journal about alcoholism, alcohol abuse, binge drinking, and the need to teach more relevant alcohol information in our educational system.

One of the things that immediately captured Nancy’s attention was the fact that most of the alcohol that teenagers and preteens drink is purchased by older friends and relatives.  “Do these individuals think they are honestly doing the young persons a favor when they purchase their alcohol for them?” Nancy thought to herself.

Another thing that Nancy learned was that there is a difference between alcohol abuse and alcoholism.  This was important because Nancy honestly thought that these two forms of abusive drinking behavior were the same.  Overall, Nancy was pleased that she read this article because she learned some important alcohol abuse and alcoholism information while waiting to see her physician.

Due to the number of inquiries that had been made over the past few months, the local public health center decided that it was going to sponsor a special event that discussed how people could learn more about alcohol abuse and alcoholism.  Included in the event would be guest speakers from the mayor’s office, the local hospital, the police department, the local board of education, and the local drug and alcohol rehab clinic.

The main points of emphasis will be on discussing the most common problems and dangers linked to excessive and abusive drinking, uncovering ways in which pre-teen and teenage alcohol abuse can be prevented, identifying basic alcohol poisoning symptoms, clarifying the key differences between alcohol abuse and alcoholism, and outlining the main reasons why people involve themselves in binge drinking.

The event will be free and based on the number of people who show up, similar or more comprehensive events will be offered the next year.

Stephen was a senior in high school who honestly loved his fifth period health class.  His teacher, Mr. Bowman, typically had a “special topic” each month and this month the topic was “alcohol abuse and alcoholism.”

While Mr. Bowman was presenting some information about the adverse effects of abusive drinking, Stephen raised his hand and asked the following question: “what is worse for an individual, the long term or the short term effects of alcohol abuse?”

Mr. Bowman thought that this was an excellent question and responded with the following answer.  “Since the short term effects of alcohol abuse are usually temporary and can be treated more successfully, the long term alcohol abuse effects are typically worse because they can be permanent and they are frequently very difficult to treat in an effective manner.

The sign in the disco appeared to be out of place.  Even though it made sense from a logical standpoint, from a business perspective it would seem to result in significantly less business.  What was written on this sign and where was the sign located?

The sign read as follows: “practice alcohol abuse prevention” and it was located above the bar at the local disco.  Many patrons asked the barmaids and the bartenders why the sign was placed in a business that served alcoholic beverages.

Interestingly, all the employees at the disco answered this question in a similar manner.  “We want tons of people to have dinner, to drink responsibly, and to have a fun time at our quality establishment.  We do not want any of our patrons to involves themselves in excessive or abusive drinking.  Indeed, we want all of our customers to drink in moderation.  The more people who find out about our business philosophy and who like the way we do business, the more patrons will come to our business, and the more money we will make.”

An observation.  Individuals who have set noble, healthy goals for themselves rarely incorporate alcohol abuse and alcoholism as part of their lifestyle.

People who are driven to succeed and to achieve their goals usually have to maintain a consistent daily approach in order to become and stay successful. This very fact typically prevents such “goal-oriented” individuals from “letting their hair down” and involving themselves in abusive and excessive drinking behavior.

There seems to be a moral to this story.  If people want to achieve something that is worthy of their effort and their self-respect, then they need to avoid hazardous and abusive drinking.  And by avoiding excessive and unhealthy drinking, a person will avoid alcohol abuse and alcohol dependency.