April is Alcohol Awareness Month

Every April the National Council for Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD) sponsors Alcohol Awareness Month to increase awareness and understanding of the causes and treatment of the nation’s #1 public health problem: alcoholism.

Alcohol claims the lives of more than 90,000 people every single year, sadly 5,000 of those are youth under the age of 21. Not only is it claiming the lives of so many, drinking heavily long-term can really affect your health. It leads to chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, liver disease, digestive problems, and even cancer.

A few things you can do to observe Alcohol Awareness month are:

1. Participate in the Alcohol-Free Weekend

As part of National Alcohol Awareness Month, NCADD encourages the public to spend 72 hours without alcohol. Make sure you and your family participate in this activity and monitor symptoms of discomfort or cravings within the three days.

2. Start conversations

It is your role as a responsible adult to initiate the conversations that nobody is willing to talk about. Speak with your friends and families who you’ve noticed are reliant on heavy drinking. As a parent, teach your children about alcohol misuse and help them build coping skills. Tell them that stress, anger, loneliness, and peer pressure are a part of life and should not cause them to give in to liquor for relaxation.

3. Throw ‘clean’ parties

Use the month of April to throw alcohol-free, clean, and healthy parties for adults. Invite over friends, neighbors, and family to enjoy social gatherings without any trace of liquor. Serve kombucha, mocktails, club soda, and booze-free beer to set an example. Consider doing this a few times a month for healthy practice! (https://nationaltoday.com/national-alcohol-awareness-month/)

We can all take steps to prevent the misuse of alcohol. Not only educating ourselves, but others, and Alcohol Awareness Month is a perfect time to get started!

To learn more information on your plans benefits please contact Members Services at 800-547-0421 or help@ironroad.com.