Prevention Of Alcohol Abuse

The abuse of alcohol presents a major health problem throughout the world. Until recently both clinical and research efforts have been geared toward treatment and rehabilitation of alcoholism. With the growing num ber of problem drinkers entering treatment, the need for a better under standing of the prevention of alcohol abuse has become increasingly evi dent. Although still in its infancy, the field of alcoholism prevention is growing at a rapid rate. Increasing numbers of behavioral scientists through out the world are conducting or planning prevention projects. Policy plan ners, school administrators, military agencies, community groups, state and local alcoholism agencies, and industries are initiating alcohol abuse preven tion programs with fervor. Legislators at all levels of government are also developing a keen interest in legislation aimed at reducing the extent of problem drinking. This book represents one of the first systematic attempts to compile a comprehensive text on the prevention of alcohol abuse. Many of the con tributors to Prevention 0/ Alcohol Abuse have international reputations that strengthen their understanding of the complex nature of prevention. By providing a critical review of the current knowledge about prevention, the text will serve to stimulate and lay the groundwork for further prevention efforts. We thank all of the chapter authors for their excellent contributions. It is through their efforts that the field will thrive. Our appreciation also is expressed to Leonard Pace, formerly of Plenum Press, for his encourage ment and helpful comments in the development of the text.

Alcohol use by young people is extremely dangerous - both to themselves and society at large. Underage alcohol use is associated with traffic fatalities, violence, unsafe sex, suicide, educational failure, and other problem behaviors that diminish the prospects of future success, as well as health risks â€" and the earlier teens start drinking, the greater the danger. Despite these serious concerns, the media continues to make drinking look attractive to youth, and it remains possible and even easy for teenagers to get access to alcohol. Why is this dangerous behavior so pervasive? What can be done to prevent it? What will work and who is responsible for making sure it happens? Reducing Underage Drinking addresses these questions and proposes a new way to combat underage alcohol use. It explores the ways in which may different individuals and groups contribute to the problem and how they can be enlisted to prevent it. Reducing Underage Drinking will serve as both a game plan and a call to arms for anyone with an investment in youth health and safety.

It is generally acknowledged that the most cost-effective means of curtailing alcohol and drug abuse is prevention. Providing interventions to at-risk individuals before they develop serious problems with substance use is the most important component of the "war on drugs." Fortunately, the past decade has seen a dramatic increase in the quantity and quality of scientific research on those areas crucial to the advancement of prevention science. This book compiles a tremendous amount of information about prevention which has accumulated in recent years. Documenting these accomplishments and setting the stage for future efforts comprise the focus of this book. Prevention and Societal Impact of Drug and Alcohol Abuse is divided into four parts. Part I contains introductory chapters addressing current issues in prevention science and characteristics of abusable substances. Part II includes chapters on the historical contexts of substance abuse and the deleterious health consequences of alcohol and other drugs. Part III focuses on the impact of drug and alcohol abuse on society. Included are chapters on alcohol and drug abuse and driving, infectious illness, disability, managed care, the criminal justice system and adolescents and adults, sale and distribution, the media, and community responses. Part IV consists of chapters on prevention in specific settings and with certain populations.

All across the United States, individuals, families, communities, and health care systems are struggling to cope with substance use, misuse, and substance use disorders. Substance misuse and substance use disorders have devastating effects, disrupt the future plans of too many young people, and all too often, end lives prematurely and tragically. Substance misuse is a major public health challenge and a priority for our nation to address. The effects of substance use are cumulative and costly for our society, placing burdens on workplaces, the health care system, families, states, and communities. The Report discusses opportunities to bring substance use disorder treatment and mainstream health care systems into alignment so that they can address a person's overall health, rather than a substance misuse or a physical health condition alone or in isolation. It also provides suggestions and recommendations for action that everyone-individuals, families, community leaders, law enforcement, health care professionals, policymakers, and researchers-can take to prevent substance misuse and reduce its consequences.

Alcohol is a killerâ€"1 of every 13 deaths in the United States is alcohol-related. In addition, 5 percent of the population consumes 50 percent of the alcohol. The authors take a close look at the problem in a "classy little study," as The Washington Post called this book. The Library Journal states, "...[T]his is one book that addresses solutions....And it's enjoyably readable....This is an excellent review for anyone in the alcoholism prevention business, and good background reading for the interested layperson." The Washington Post agrees: the book "...likely will wind up on the bookshelves of counselors, politicians, judges, medical professionals, and law enforcement officials throughout the country."

The prevailing neo-prohibitionist approach to reducing alcohol problems is generally ineffective, often counter-productive, and is doomed to failure. This work is to promote an effective alternative strategy to reducing the incidence of alcohol problems. The thesis is that a socio-cultural approach would be effective, and therefore, that public policy should promote this approach. This work is expected to be controversial, and is hoped to form a pattern for reorientation of the current approach to alcohol abuse. Professionals in drug abuse education and treatment along with public policy makers and students in appropriate courses should be interested in the work.

The guideline focuses specifically on evidence-based pharmacological treatments for AUD in outpatient settings and includes additional information on assessment and treatment planning, which are an integral part of using pharmacotherapy to treat AUD.

Alcohol misuse presents a major risk for health and well-being throughout the life-span, but youth have a special vulnerability. Alcohol is the most widely used drug by adolescents. For some, this may be one or two isolated occasions of youthful experimentation; for others, the use becomes excessive, placing them in danger of immediate adverse consequences such as accidental injury and alcohol poisoning, or encouraging other high-risk behavior patterns including unprotected sex. Moreover, a pattern of heavy drinking established in adolescence and young adulthood may continue into an adult pattern of alcohol abuse. Concerned communities and institutions across the nation are tackling the problem of alcohol use and abuse by young people. Research-based knowledge is urgently needed to inform these efforts and to ensure that limited prevention resources are used as effectively as possible. The origins of youthful alcohol use and abuse are found within the complex interplay of individual characteristics, family and peer influences, the larger societal context for alcohol use, environmental conditions, and maturational processes that accompany adolescence. This volume, which began as a special issue of the Journal of Research on Adolescence, contains all of the material from the journal issue plus additional chapters. It helps researchers to meet the tremendous challenge of disentangling the key determinants of risk, and developing effective interventions. Primary sources of influence on youthful alcohol use are described, ranging from individual expectancies about alcohol effects and cognitive decision processes to parenting practices, peer influences, social environments, and economic factors; and a corresponding range of prevention interventions is discussed. This book will serve as a primer to those with an interest in developing and improving effective programs and activities to reduce alcohol-related problems among young people. For those engaged in prevention research, the text will provide useful reviews and current findings that should aid in directing future research activities.