Alcohol
Alcohol use is very common in our society. Drinking alcohol has
immediate effects that can increase the risk of many harmful health
conditions.
Health Effects of Alcohol
Abuse
- Excessive alcohol use, either in the form of heavy
drinking (drinking more than two drinks per day on average
for men or more than one drink per day on average for
women), or binge drinking (drinking 5 or more drinks during
a single occasion for men or 4 or more drinks during a
single occasion for women), can lead to increased risk of
health problems such as liver disease or unintentional
injuries.
- According to the Behavioral Risk Factor
Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey, more than half of the
adult U.S. population drank alcohol in the past 30 days.
Approximately 5% of the total population drank heavily,
while 15% of the population binge drank.
- According to the Alcohol-Related Disease Impact
(ARDI) tool, from 2001–2005, there were approximately 79,000
deaths annually attributable to excessive alcohol use. In
fact, excessive alcohol use is the 3rd leading
lifestyle-related cause of death for people in the United
States each year.
- Alcohol use poses additional problems for underage
drinkers.
For more information on the health effects of health effects
of alcohol:
http://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets.htm
For more information on underage drinking:
http://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/underage-drinking.htm
Other Effects of Alcohol
Abuse
Alcohol abuse doesn’t only affect your health, it may affect:
- Your relationships
- Your family
- Your schooling or job
- Your driver’s license and insurance
- The safety of those around you
Alcohol lowers your inhibitions and impairs your judgment. It
is often the culprit of sexually transmitted diseases and
unplanned pregnancies. Additionally, alcohol may change your
personality. It may make you more jovial or it may make you more
aggressive. Alcohol is frequently mentioned in relationship to
domestic violence.
Alcohol Use in Minnesota
Minnesota has one of the highest levels of binge drinking in
the United States.
The source for this data is CDC’s Behavioral Risk Factor
Surveillance System (BRFSS). Information about the BRFSS is
available at
http://www.cdc.gov/brfss/index.htm
Alcohol Use in Aitkin County
When Aitkin County students were asked on the 2010 Minnesota
Student Survey, “On how many occasions (if any) have you
had alcoholic beverages to drink during the last 30 days?”
we found that:
- 73% of 9th grade boys reported drinking no
alcoholic beverages during the last 30 days, improved from a
1998 low of 31%.
- 71% of 9th grade girls reported drinking no
alcoholic beverages during the last 30 days, improved from a
2001 low of 46%.
When Aitkin County students were asked on the 2010 Minnesota
Student Survey, “Over the last two weeks, how many times
(if any) have you had five or more drinks in a row?” we
found that:
- 78% of 12th grade boys reported not drinking five
or more alcoholic beverages in a row during the last 30
days, improved from a 2001 low of 40%.
- 71% of 12th grade girls reported not drinking five
or more alcoholic beverages in a row during the last 30
days, improved from a 2001 low of 61%.
For information on local Alcoholics Anonymous meetings:
Alcoholics
Anonymous Meetings
For information on local ALANON and ALATEEN meetings for
family members of alcoholics:
ALANON and
ALATEEN Meetings
 Aitkin
County Public Health Dept.
204 1st Street NW, Aitkin, MN 56431
Hours: Monday-Friday, 8 am - 4:30 pm
218-927-7200 or 800-328-3744
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