How many individuals lose their lives every year because of drinking problems? How many people lose their lives each year from a condition that is 100% preventable, such as alcohol poisoning? How many people are the victims of alcohol related crime or violence each and every year? How many individuals get injured or lose their lives in alcohol related traffic accidents every year? How many people’s lives are cut short due to abusive and unhealthy drinking? How many children are born each year with fetal alcohol syndrome? On an annual basis, how many alcoholics fail to get the professional alcohol treatment they require? How many individuals face severe consequences in their lives because they received a “drunk driving” conviction? How many junior high, high school, and college students lose their lives every year due to an alcohol overdose?

Why Would Anyone Want to Drink in an Excessive Manner?

So what’s the point in asking these questions? Basically to highlight the destructive and devastating nature of excessive and careless drinking. Indeed, and based on the above questions, I wonder why anyone would choose to drink in an abusive and irresponsible manner.

Stated a different way, with the host of financial difficulties, employment issues, legal proceedings, health problems, and relationship dilemmas that are linked to alcohol addiction and chronic alcohol abuse, why would any person with a common sense mentality want to drink in a hazardous and abusive manner? Indeed when some of the above topics are looked at more closely, excessive and hazardous drinking becomes more illogical and makes even less sense.

Wouldn’t you think that chronic alcohol abusers would be able to see some of the alcohol symptoms that they exhibit? In a similar manner doesn’t it seem logical to think that many more families would involve themselves in an alcohol intervention for the person in the household who is an alcoholic or an alcohol abuser? Not only this but wouldn’t you think that individuals who drink heavily would try to learn more about their drinking behavior by reading about various alcohol related statistics?

After reviewing the alcohol abuse and alcoholism research literature, the point is so important that it needs to be repeated: With all of the damaging and unhealthy consequences that are directly or indirectly interlinked with repetitive and continuous alcohol addiction and alcohol abuse, why would any individual want to engage in hazardous and excessive drinking?

What Can be Done About the Extensive Nature of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism in the U.S.?

So what can be done about the extensive nature of alcohol addiction and alcohol abuse in the United States?

1. Our students need more meaningful and more relevant preventative and educational approaches and methods so that more students at all grade levels, including those at college, are “reached.
2. In a similar way, our students need to learn how to become problem solvers in life rather than resorting to the ”quick fix” and the “instant gratification” of a drug or alcohol abuse ”high” or “buzz”.
3. Individuals who are alcoholics or alcohol abusers need to look look at themselves honestly and ask why they are not getting the professional alcohol counseling they need.
4. Society needs to get the message to more people about the unhealthy and debilitating outcomes of careless and hazardous drinking.

There’s Room For Hope if Those Who Engage in Hazardous and Abusive Drinking Can Become Persuaded to Get the Alcohol Rehab They Require

There’s lots of room for optimism and hope if people can start drinking in moderation and those who engage in abusive and careless drinkingcan become encouraged to get the alcohol treatment they need. Indeed, why put your loved ones through turmoil, pain, and suffering because of your abusive and excessive drinking when you have the power to control your life by drinking in moderation or even refraining from drinking if you cannot control your drinking? From a different perspective, why not augment and enhance your marital and loving relationships that are the products of alcohol counseling?