Article for April, 2006

A Simple Way to Learn How Much is Too Much

By By Joelle Reizes
Director of External Relations, National Alcohol Screening Day

Your husband gallantly refills your wine glass after every sip. Your grandmother tells you she and all her friends drank while breastfeeding. You have a history of liver disease in your family, or maybe your father was an alcoholic. You regularly take Tylenol for headaches. Sunday evening card games always involve cocktails and Monday morning is a bit rough.

Alcohol is a regular part of our celebrations, meals, and culture. But some of us shouldn't drink at all, some shouldn't drink during certain times in their lives, and some just need to know how to make safe, smart choices.

National Alcohol Screening Day (NASD), April 6, offers a roadmap to the winding road of alcohol research and how it affects health and overall well-being. This national, nonprofit event being held across the nation at thousands of screening sites can help you determine when, how much, or if you should drink.

Although most individuals who drink alcohol do so safely, many people are unaware of the negative effects alcohol can have on health, even as they may be aware that there are possible benefits to consuming alcohol. For most of us, the question is "What is a safe level of drinking?" This is a difficult question as the answer is not the same for everyone and may change over the lifespan. For most adults, moderate alcohol use—up to two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women and older people—causes few, if any, problems (one drink equals one 12-ounce bottle of beer or wine cooler, one 5-ounce glass of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits). But if you have a family history of alcohol abuse, are taking certain over-the-counter or prescription medications, are pregnant or trying to become pregnant, or have medical conditions that can be made worse by drinking, then even moderate alcohol use may lead to significant health problems. On the other hand, alcohol appears to have possible benefits to heart health and reducing risk of stroke. Recent studies illustrate that there may be a link between moderate alcohol use and prevention of dementia.

Think about it—when was the last time you went to the doctor for a physical and talked about your drinking habits? Probably never. But shouldn't we talk about alcohol just as we talk about other things that affect our health? It isn't a matter of judging or pointing fingers or reinstituting prohibition. It is an acknowledgement that alcohol can cause serious difficulties and so, as with other health issues, we should get the facts and make healthy decisions. To find a local site offering free, anonymous screenings for alcohol use disorders, visit NationalAlcoholScreeningDay.org.

Signs that you, a friend, or a loved one may have an alcohol problem:

• Drinking to calm nerves, forget worries, or boost a sad mood
• Guilt about drinking
• Unsuccessful attempts to cut down/stop drinking
• Lying about or hiding drinking habits
• Causing harm to oneself or someone else as a result of drinking
• Needing to drink increasingly greater amounts in order to achieve desired effect
• Feeling irritable, resentful, or unreasonable when not drinking
• Medical, social, family, or financial problems caused by drinking

More Information:

• Search NWHIC's database on Alcoholism
• Read past months' Featured Health Articles columns
• Disclaimer

Current as of April 2006