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Alcohol Facts & Information

More than 52 percent of U.S citizens are regular drinkers. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 14,406 Americans died from alcoholic liver disease in 2007, and the total number of other alcohol induced deaths that year excluding accidents and homicides was 23,199. The amounts of wine, beer or spirits that are safe for a person to drink varies according to gender and body size.

  1. Gender Limits

    • According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005, drinking should be done in moderation. Men should consume no more than two drinks per day, and women should limit consumption to one drink per day. One drink, or .6 oz. of pure article, is the equivalent of 12 oz. of beer, 8 oz. of malt liquor, 5 oz. of wine or 1.5 oz. of 80-proof liquor.

    Driving Limits

    • Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) limits are the same for the U.S and the U.K, according to DrinkDriving.org. Drivers with more than the legal limit of 0.08 percent blood alcohol content are over the limit and could face prosecution by authorities.

    Symptoms of Acoholism

    • Getting drunk regularly, being unable to stop once you've started, drinking alone, making excuses to drink, letting people down as a result of drinking, feeling guilty about drinking, getting shakes in the morning, and drinking more than before are all symptoms of possible alcoholism, listed by the U.K's NHS.

    Effects of Alcoholism

    • Alcohol poisoning, liver disease, cancers of the mouth and liver, as well as breast cancer in women, chronic pancreatitis and heart disease are some of the physical effects of alcohol abuse, according to the drinking campaign group Drinkaware. Mental health problems include an increased risk of depression, alcohol addiction, sexual problems, risky behavior and damaged relationships leading to isolation.

    Treatments For Alcoholism

    • Treatments ranging from rehabilitation clinics, self-help, cognitive behavioral therapies through a counsellor, detoxification using medication and group therapies, such as Alcoholics Anonymous are used to treat drink problems. For some, accepting that there is a problem is enough for some people to seek help or alter their habits, according to Patient UK.

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