Drinking too much alcohol increases people’s risk of injuries, violence, drowning, liver disease, and some types of cancer.
The good news? We can all take steps to help prevent alcohol misuse or abuse.
Spread the word about strategies for preventing alcohol misuse or abuse and encourage communities, families, and individuals to get involved.
How can Alcohol Awareness Month make a difference?
We can use this month to raise awareness about alcohol abuse and take action to prevent it — both at home and in the community.
Here are just a few ideas:
- Encourage friends or family members to make small changes, like keeping track of their drinking and setting drinking limits.
- Share tips with parents to help them talk with their kids about the risks of alcohol use.
- Ask doctors and nurses to talk to their patients about the benefits of drinking less or quitting.
Get Involved
Take action to raise awareness about alcohol misuse.
- Partner with a local high school or youth organization to host an event about alcohol misuse prevention.
- Host an alcohol-free community block party. Invite local restaurants and a local radio station to provide free food and music.
- Partner with a local health clinic to offer free or low-cost screenings for alcohol misuse on National Alcohol Screening Day (April 11, 2019).
- Work with your local police station to host a Family Information Night. Share free information on preventing alcohol misuse and provide demonstrations. For example, use drinking goggles to show how drinking too much can affect vision.
- Post information on bulletin boards at local community centers, places of worship, the library, and post office.
Adapted from the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc.
For more information and materials, contact:
- The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration at [email protected]
- The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) at [email protected]
Find More Information
- National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc.
Alcohol Awareness Month Sponsor - Alcohol & Your Health
National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism - Alcohol-Related Brochures and Fact Sheets
National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism - Alcohol and Public Health: Frequently Asked Questions
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - CDC Vital Signs Report: Alcohol Screening and Counseling
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - Alcohol and Your Health: Tools
National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism - Community Education
The Partnership for Drug-Free Kids - College Drinking [PDF – 656 KB]
National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism - Too Smart To Start
Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration - Facts About Aging and Alcohol
National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Aging - Using Alcohol to Relieve Your Pain: What Are the Risks? [PDF – 221 KB]
National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism - A Cup of Health: Excessive Alcohol Use Can Be a Problem [podcast]
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Information is from HealthFinder.gov and Maryland.gov
19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s. – 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (KJV)