April is nationally recognized as Alcohol Awareness Month to raise awareness about alcohol abuse. During this month, it is a good idea to spread the word about how to prevent alcohol abuse at home and in the community. Alcohol abuse and misuse can have dangerous consequences including increased risk of injuries, violence, liver disease, cancer, and more.
Impact on Personal Life
Alcoholism can take a serious toll on your personal life. When a person is addicted to alcohol it can cause all aspects of a person’s life to suffer. Long-term alcohol abuse can lead to serious health complications such as liver disease and cancer. It also can damage your relationships, family, emotional stability, finances, and your career. Preventing alcohol abuse or taking action if a person is already abusing alcohol can lead to a better quality of life.
Hazard to Those Around You
Abusing alcohol can cause devastating consequences for the people around you. If you get behind the wheel of a car while drunk, you are much more likely to get in a deadly car accident. Showing up to work intoxicated can be dangerous if you are operating equipment or using hazardous substances. As a parent, alcohol abuse can have a negative impact on your child’s life if they are not getting the care and attention they need. Think twice before binge drinking and set limits on your drinking to prevent the people around you from being hurt.
Facts About Alcohol-Related Deaths
- Every year, around 88,000 deaths in the U.S. are attributed to alcohol abuse
- Alcohol is the 3rd leading preventable cause of death in the nation
- In 2014, 31% of driving fatalities or 9,967 deaths were caused by alcohol-impaired driving
Spreading awareness about the dangers of alcohol and how to prevent alcoholism can help to lower the number of alcohol related deaths.
Effects on the Workplace
Alcohol can have many adverse effects on work performance. Using alcohol while at work can create an unsafe workplace by increasing the risk for injuries and accidents especially in occupations where workers are operating vehicles and machinery. Alcohol abuse can lead people to act unprofessionally in the workplace which can take a toll on the entire business and cause the person to lose their job. In addition, alcohol impairment can lower productivity and quality of work performed. It is important to create a workplace culture that does not tolerate alcohol consumption in the workplace.
Rehab & Ways to Cope with Alcoholism
Fortunately, there are ways to prevent and cope with alcohol addiction. If you need to cut back on your drinking here are some strategies that may help:
- Limit your drinking to no more than 1 drink a day for women or 2 drinks a day for men.
- Keep track of how much you drink.
- Choose a day each week when you will not drink.
- Don’t drink when you are upset.
- Limit the amount of alcohol you keep at home.
- Avoid places where people drink a lot.
If you or someone you know has a problem with alcohol abuse, there are options for treatment and rehab. For useful resources on treatment for alcohol problems, visit the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse & Alcoholism website.
Drug & Alcohol Awareness Training
TSC Training Academy provides a 2 Hour Drug and Alcohol Awareness Training course. This course is a which is a requirement to be a Site Safety Manager after June 1, 2019 in New York City. The Drug & Alcohol Awareness course is designed to teach you about the adverse effects of drugs and alcohol in the workplace as well as recognize problems with substance dependency. It also explains how drug and alcohol abuse can be harmful to your personal life and those around you.
To learn more about the Drug and Alcohol Awareness course, visit TSCTA’s website.