April 12th 2024.
Every April, people all across the United States come together to observe National Alcohol Awareness Month. This month-long initiative, which was established in 1987 and is sponsored by the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, aims to reduce the stigma surrounding alcoholism and provide important information about alcohol, alcoholism, and recovery. As we embark on another Alcohol Awareness Month, it is crucial to understand the goals and significance of this initiative, especially when it comes to addressing one of the most prevalent public health issues in the African American community.
At its core, National Alcohol Awareness Month strives to educate the American public about the dangers of excessive alcohol consumption, promote responsible drinking habits, and offer support to those struggling with alcohol addiction on their journey towards recovery. One organization at the forefront of this mission is Responsibility.org, a national non-profit dedicated to eliminating drunk driving, ending all impaired driving, and empowering adults to make responsible alcohol choices for a lifetime. They are encouraging Americans to take a closer look at their relationship with alcohol.
According to the 2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, binge drinking among African Americans is slightly less common compared to Hispanics and Caucasians. However, the rate of heavy drinking is much lower among African Americans than the general population and Caucasians. Despite this, there are still more negative social consequences reported, such as higher rates of alcohol-related illness and injuries. BLACK ENTERPRISE spoke with Responsibility.org about their efforts to provide educational resources and empower the African American community to make informed decisions about alcohol, as well as the progress they have made so far.
One of the primary objectives of Alcohol Awareness Month is to raise awareness about the prevalence and impact of alcoholism on individuals, families, and communities. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, an estimated 14.5 million adults in the United States aged 18 and older had Alcohol Use Disorder in 2019. Leslie Kimball, Executive Director of Responsibility.org, emphasizes the importance of reminding parents that their job is not done when their child goes off to college. She offers methods to help mitigate risks associated with drinking, not just during spring break, but throughout the year.
Another crucial goal of Alcohol Awareness Month is to promote responsible drinking behaviors and prevent underage drinking. Factors such as alcohol marketing, peer pressure, and societal norms can contribute to underage drinking, which can have severe consequences for young people's physical and mental health, academic performance, and future opportunities. Kimball stresses the need for parents to discuss the differences between low-risk and high-risk drinking with their children and reminds them that any underage drinking is risky and illegal.
By providing parents, educators, and young people with information about the risks of underage drinking and strategies for prevention, Alcohol Awareness Month works towards creating a safer and healthier environment for youth. This education begins early, as studies have shown that alcohol use and abuse may not be as prevalent among African American high school and college students, but once drinking begins, adolescent females and African Americans tend to progress to heavy drinking and alcohol-related problems at a faster pace. This highlights the need to target these students specifically and as early as 10 years old.
Kimball suggests regular check-ins from trusted adults to ensure that kids feel safe, seen, and supported. Responsibility.org also provides a checklist of teaching points, such as reasons to say no to alcohol, practicing refusal strategies, and always having an exit plan, to help parents and educators guide young people towards responsible decision-making. Kimball notes that levels of underage drinking are at record lows, and it is encouraging to see that not everyone drinks.
Collaboration is essential in raising awareness and promoting responsible behaviors when it comes to alcohol. Responsibility.org works with various offices and individuals at colleges and universities, including counseling centers, fraternity and sorority organizations, and offices of health promotion, to incorporate their free program, Alcohol101+, into campus-wide alcohol prevention efforts. Since its relaunch in 2021, Alcohol101+ has been used at over 120 colleges, universities, and fraternity and sorority organizations, with over 15,000 students completing the course. Based on recent evaluations, these students reported feeling equipped to make responsible choices about alcohol and were less likely to engage in harmful drinking.
Kimball emphasizes that they work closely with each college or university to ensure that Alcohol101+ is used in a way that fits the individual needs of their campus, whether as a preventative tool or in response to incidents involving alcohol. National Alcohol Awareness Month serves as a reminder that through education, advocacy, and community engagement, we can create healthier and more supportive communities for individuals and families, and continue to reduce underage drinking and promote responsible behaviors in adults.
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