The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependencies (NCADD) established Alcohol Awareness Month in 1987 to combat the nation’s number one public health problem, alcoholism. Alcohol Awareness Month aims to help correct social norms by encouraging, educating and empowering individuals and communities on alcoholism and recovery. Designating a month of awareness provides the opportunity for all branches of society to focus on the causes of alcoholism and the treatments and recovery associated with it.
According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, about 18 million adults in the U.S. have an alcohol use disorder – meaning that their drinking habits cause distress and harm, and can often include alcoholism and alcohol abuse. This is a disease that causes:
- Cravings – the strong urge or need to drink
- Loss of control – not being able to stop drinking once they’ve started
- Physical dependence – withdrawal symptoms
- Tolerance – the need to drink more alcohol to continually feel the same effect
Treatment can include medicine, counseling, and support groups. 3rd Millennium Classrooms’ online prevention and intervention courses are exceptional tools that have been proven to encourage positive change in the attitudes and behaviors of individuals who struggle with alcohol abuse or misuse.
Alcohol-Wise has been shown to reduce alcohol consumption and negative consequences among freshmen in college and high-risk athletes; participation in drinking games decreased 9.5%, while heavy drinking decreased 28%. Alcohol-Wise also showed a reduction in peak blood alcohol content (36% decrease) and the peak number of drinks an individual consumed in one sitting (30% decrease).
Alcohol-Wise also improves students’ academic performance and engagement. Overall, there was an 18% increase in retention rates and a 23% increase in GPA. Another positive aspect of the course is that high-risk freshmen reported a 58% decrease in peak drinking compared to an 11% increase among students who did not take the course. A majority (75%) of college students thought the course would help them avoid future problems with alcohol, thus proving that Alcohol-Wise encouraged positive changes in attitude and behavior towards alcohol consumption.
