Alcohol Help

Reacting to Office of National Statistics figures which reveal an increase in alcohol-related deaths in 2008, Chris Sorek, Chief Executive of Drinkaware, says:

“It’s shocking to discover that alcohol-related deaths are again on the increase, and it’s vital now, more than ever, that we act to reduce the harms caused by drinking too much. With more and more people dying from alcohol misuse it’s essential we change people’s relationship with drinking, and education has a key role to play.

“Male alcohol-related deaths have more than doubled in the last 17 years, but women also need to vigilant. Regularly exceeding the daily unit guidelines can increase everyone’s chances of developing liver damage, heart disease and some cancers.

"Average weekly alcohol consumption has decreased in two years which is certainly a step in the right direction but there are still a number of people who drink so much they’re putting themselves at risk. Just drinking two large glasses of wine or a couple of pints of lager in one sitting can make people susceptible to serious long term health conditions.

“Making sure people know the effects of regularly drinking to excess is an important part of changing people’s attitudes and behaviours towards alcohol. Providing people with tips and advice on how to cut down also goes a long way to tackling our binge drinking culture. Keeping tabs on units and spacing alcoholic drinks with soft drinks or water alone won’t solve the problem, but will help people cut back.”

Drinkaware

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), alcohol addiction and/or alcohol abuse is attributed to over 100,000 deaths in the United States each year. Alcohol addiction is by far the most deadly and underrated addictions. More people die from the effects of alcohol addiction than from any other drug addiction.

Narconon Gulf Coast, a world-class residential alcohol addiction treatment facility, understands the danger of untreated alcohol addiction.
Alcohol Addiction is a Killer

Some problems, to name a few, associated with alcohol addiction are cirrhosis of the liver, an increased risk of homicide, suicide or committing a violent crime, and fatal car accidents. Alcohol addiction is treated and cured every day at Narconon Gulf Coast. Their alcohol addiction treatment facility provides one-on-one care and attention along with an atmosphere that is neat, clean, and comfortable.

Narconon

Drinkaware, the alcohol awareness charity, has appointed a national advisory panel made up of expert medical professionals, to advise its work educating consumers about alcohol misuse.

Six panel members whose expertise covers a broad spectrum including liver, mental health, accidents and emergencies, public health, adolescent health and oral cancer have committed to offering the charity advice for at least a year, under the overall direction of Drinkaware’s Chief Medical Adviser, Professor Paul Wallace.

As experts in their respective fields, the new panel members will help ensure Drinkaware continues to provide consumers with the most up-to-date, medically-sound information. Drinkaware believes education is an essential component in combating the harm caused by alcohol misuse in the UK and the medical panel will assist the charity to raise awareness of the long and short term social, physical and mental health risks associated with drinking to excess.

The team includes:

• Drinkaware Chief Medical Adviser, Professor Paul Wallace – Professor of Primary Care at University College London, Director National Institute for Health Research Primary Care Research Network and a General Practitioner.

• Professor Mark Bellis – Director of the Centre for Public Health at Liverpool John Moores University, the North West Public Health Observatory and the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Violence Prevention.

• Dr Jonathan Chick – Consultant Psychiatrist, Royal Edinburgh Hospital and Part-time Senior Lecturer in Psychiatry, Edinburgh University.

• Professor Chris Day – Pro-Vice Chancellor and Professor of Liver Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences and Senior National Institute for Health Research Investigator.

• Professor Graham Ogden – Professor of Oral Surgery at the University of Dundee and Honorary Consultant Oral Surgeon Tayside University Hospitals NHS Trust.

• Professor Jonathan Shepherd CBE – Professor of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Director of the Violence Research Group and Vice Dean at Cardiff University, member of Council of the Royal College of Surgeons of England and Fellow of the College of Emergency Medicine.

• Dr Russell Viner – Consultant and Directorate of Adolescent Medicine, University College London Hospitals and Great Ormond Street Hospital, London.*

Chris Sorek, Chief Executive of Drinkaware, says: “It is imperative that we are all aware alcohol misuse can have a harmful effect on our social, physical and mental health. The appointment of the medical advisory panel will help Drinkaware to be at the forefront of medical advice relating to alcohol and will ensure that the charity continues to be a trusted source for consumers seeking the facts about alcohol and how it affects their health.”

Professor Paul Wallace, Chief Medical Adviser to Drinkaware, says: “Providing consumers with best evidence about the health implications of drinking to excess is a key factor in helping to reduce the harm alcohol can cause. I’m delighted to be working with a panel of experts across the field who can ensure that people visiting the Drinkaware website and interacting with the charity’s campaigns keep abreast of all the best quality information in order to protect their own health and well-being.”

Drinkaware

The government today announced new measures giving local authorities power to make blanket changes to opening hours of licensed premises in problem areas of alcohol-related crime and disorder.

The new rules would mean that, where disorder or public nuisance cannot be attributed to particular individual premises, local authorities would be able to limit late opening across an entire area.

The ban will operate between 3am and 6am in respect of all premises selling alcohol, including pubs, bars, clubs, supermarkets and convenience stores. It could be imposed all week or only on particular days of the week.

In response to the move, Alcohol Concern’s Chief Executive Don Shenker said:

“This announcement is a belated acknowledgement that the government has not been able to tackle alcohol-related crime and disorder effectively on behalf of local residents.

“These changes will still not allow residents any greater say over local licensing issues – a travesty for those who’ve had to suffer alcohol-fuelled night time disorder for too long.

“The government urgently needs to add a public health objective to the Licensing Act and must create new mechanisms for residents views to be considered.”

Alcohol Concern

Chatsworth Pavilion an alcohol rehab center specializing in recovery from addictions, like excessive drinking, affirms many highly functional professionals suffer from an addiction problem and are unaware they need help. Professionals who are questioning if they need help and may be unaware they need assistance, can receive help easily.

Chatsworth addiction recovery treatment center located just north of the U.S. border in Montreal says many clients who find themselves participating in self-defeating behavioral patterns, like driving under the influence of alcohol are highly functional in many other aspects of their lives, but wonder why they can’t seem to stop certain types of behaviors. The following self-defeating behavioral patterns, and exaggerated self-medicating tendencies might be a strong indication you need help:

-Driving a car or any other type of motor vehicle after drinking alcohol
-Participating in any type of illegal drug activity regardless of the frequency
-When drinking, usually tend to drink more than two alcoholic beverages
-Continued use regardless of repeated consequences

The professionals at the Canada based alcohol rehab and drug addiction center state because many people downplay and outright deny consequences of their drug and alcohol use like, arrests and professional problems, they believe they don’t have a problem.

Chatsworth alcohol rehabilitation program

Reacting to new measures from the Government which include a ban on ‘all you can drink’ promotional offers and new tax proposals from the Conservatives, Chris Sorek, Chief Executive of Drinkaware, says:

“Pub crawls and other promotional offers that encourage drinking to get drunk can put young adults at risk. Any measures that tackle the British binge drinking culture should concentrate on changing people’s attitudes and the acceptability of drunkenness in our society.

“Making sure people know the effects of regularly drinking to excess is an important part of changing our drinking culture. When it comes to binge drinking in particular, it’s imperative that we give young adults tips and advice to help reduce the risk caused by drinking too much. Encouraging people to space their alcoholic drinks with water won’t solve the problem of binge drinking, but will help slow their drinking down.”

Drinkaware

Alcoholics, addicts, their families and their friends have many questions about rehabilitation and the procedures involved. Below, find answers to some of the frequently asked questions about drug and alcohol addiction treatment, and gain insight into the methods used to treat addiction.

Will rehab cure addiction?

No. Addiction is a disease that has no cure. It is progressive and possibly fatal if not arrested. Rehab
Frequently Asked Questions about Drug and Alcohol Addiction Treatment

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* Frequently Asked Questions about Drug and Alcohol Addiction Treatment
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provides a place to establish a firm foundation to begin a life of recovery, and to learn how to manage one’s addiction. Drugs and alcohol do not need to be a part of an addict or alcoholic’s life any more.

After rehab, will an addict have addiction problems again?

The answer to that depends on the individual. Rehab does not cure addiction. However, by using the right drug treatment tools, combined with a 12 Step programme, addicts and alcoholics learn to overcome the need to drink or use drugs, one day at a time. If those leaving rehab work through their programme to the best of their ability, they have an excellent chance of living a normal life and never touching a drink or drug again.

Can an addict or alcoholic drink or use drugs minimally once they have left rehab?

No. Not if they want to remain abstinent and prevent a return to alcoholism or addiction. The disease of addiction is progressive. One drink or drug is too many and a thousand is never enough. Total abstinence is required. One drink or drug is the catalyst to the next, and the next, and the next. It is the first one that takes addicts and alcoholics back into a relapse.

What do people do in rehab?

In rehab, clients follow a recovery programme in a safe, structured environment devised to assist them in learning to cope with everyday situations once they leave. The programme consists of group therapy, individual counselling, art therapy, written work, attendance at 12 Step meetings, workshops, exercise, healthy eating and free time.

How long does one have to stay in rehab?

No client HAS to stay in rehab: if they want to leave, they are free to go (also known as RHT: refuse hospital treatment). However, it is recommended that clients stay for a minimum of three months in an Extended Primary Care facility, such as Oasis Counselling Centre, and a Tertiary Care facility such as Solar House.

"Many people worry that rehab is going to be like a prison sentence," says Helen Schaffer of Oasis. "The truth is that rehab is what the client makes of it. They can grasp recovery and the lifeline we offer them with both hands and live. Drug and alcohol addiction treatment is not a curse or a prison sentence – it can be an empowering and enlightening experience, a fresh start to a new, clean and sober life."

Oasis Counselling Centre

When people think of alcohol abuse, they do not always consider that it occurs in different ways. The “wino” stumbling down the street, clutching a bottle, in a perpetual state of intoxication, is only one form of alcohol abuse. The secret or closet drinker who is or appears to be able to function even while drinking is another example of alcohol abuse.

One specific example, however, that may not readily come to mind is that of binge drinking. Binge drinking occurs when a person makes the conscious decision to drink as much alcohol as possible in as short a time as possible, in order to rapidly achieve a state of intoxication. Binge drinking can be more common among teenagers and young adults, although it can affect people of any age.

Binge drinking may not occur every night or even ever weekend. Rather, the number of times a person engages in binge drinking may vary, depending on different circumstances.

For instance, availability and environment may be factors in the instances of binge drinking among young people. A person may find him or herself in a situation that did not start out to be one where any drinking, binge or otherwise, was meant to occur. However, circumstances occur in which alcohol becomes available, and this availability is taken advantage of.

One other cause for binge drinking seeming to occur almost solely with adolescents, college students, and/or young adults might well be the time factor. Teenagers and college students may be facing curfews, or the gathering at which the binge drinking takes place only lasts for a short amount of time. Since the goal of the binge drinker is to get drunk as quickly as possible, a lot of drinking must take place in a very narrow time frame.

No matter what the reason for a binge drinking episode, whether it is the first or just another one of many, binge drinking is still dangerous. Continued binge drinking can lead to the necessity of having to enter a detoxification center in order to overcome the effects of too many binge drinking episodes.

Because of this, alcohol detox programs are designed to handle both the steady drinker and the binge drinker. Further, because binge drinking has the tendency to lead to alcohol poisoning, a serious and sometimes fatal condition, alcohol detox will almost certainly occur, as the body processes the large amount of alcohol taken in.

Detox centers in Virginia can help those who find themselves engaging more and more in binge drinking. They can provide 21-day alcohol detox programs. Once the detox time has passed, personnel can then guide the binge drinker to inpatient and/or outpatient programs that will help one better handle the desire to engage in such risky behavior.

Detox-Center

Alcohol awareness charity Drinkaware has appointed drinks industry consultant, Paul Hegarty, to help develop and manage its relationships and communications with industry investors.

The appointment of Paul Hegarty follows 50 alcohol-related companies including leading producers, pub operators, supermarkets and off-licence companies committing more than £5 million per year for the next three years to support the charity.

Formerly Head of Communication for Molson Coors, Hegarty has worked in the alcoholic drinks sector for over 20 years, specialising in communication, public affairs and corporate responsibility. From January 2010, as Drinkaware’s Industry Relationship Manager, he will support the charity to communicate its activities with funders and encourage them to help spread the responsible drinking message to consumers.

Paul Hegarty, says: “The substantial financial support from the industry for Drinkaware clearly demonstrates that alcohol producers and retailers fully understand that alcohol abuse is hurting their businesses. I will be helping find ways for funding companies to work in partnership with Drinkaware to change Britain’s drinking culture; to help people understand how they can enjoy a drink without hurting themselves or other members of society.”

Drinkaware Chief Executive, Chris Sorek, says: “Our conversations with funders have shown they are keen to explore ways to amplify Drinkaware’s campaigns and Paul’s considerable industry experience will help us engage the drinks industry in our efforts to promote responsible drinking. We are thrilled to have someone of Paul’s calibre and experience on our staff.”

Drinkaware

Responding to the debate around minimum pricing for alcohol, Chris Sorek, Chief Executive of alcohol awareness charity Drinkaware, says:

“We need a package of measures to tackle alcohol misuse across the UK – price is one element, but it is imperative that we aim to change people’s attitudes through providing information and advice as well. People need to know what they’re drinking and the effect it can have on their health and well-being so they can start to think about and change their drinking patterns.

“We regularly see the effects of alcohol misuse on the streets, but people of all ages drinking at home are also putting themselves in harms way, often without even realising it. Regularly exceeding daily guidelines can increase people’s chances of developing liver damage, some cancers and mental health issues.”

Drinkaware