According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, nearly one-fifth of the population over the age of 12 has participated in some level of binge drinking within 30 days of surveys taken in 2008 and 2007. Alcohol abuse crosses age and demographics and can strike any population. Being able to recognize the signs of alcohol abuse and alcoholism is important to provide intervention and treatment. Understanding the effects of alcohol on the mind and body also is an integral piece of alcohol awareness that can help to prevent abuse.
Targets
Young people are the targets of most alcohol awareness campaigns, such as the surgeon general's Call to Action to Prevent and Reduce Underage Drinking. The thinking is that if teens and pre-teens are made aware of the dangers and consequences of drinking, they may refuse to participate in it. Programs that target teens utilize scare tactics, educational programs, statistics and health warnings. Parents are provided with guides to help them identify drinking problems and find resources for assistance.
College Programs
Colleges and universities are ground zero for alcohol awareness campaigns because they are historically rife with rampant drinking problems. Programs such as the B-Wise program try to get student organizations, parents and staff to partner to find ways to curb underage and binge drinking to provide a safer learning environment.
Significance
In addition to preventing abuse before it starts, alcohol awareness campaigns aim to reduce the side effects drinkers have on society. According to the International Institute on Alcohol Awareness, youths who drink are more than four times as likely to develop dependency issues as adults than children who don't. More than half of all children killed in auto accidents each year died as a direct result of alcohol-related car accidents.
Features
Alcohol awareness campaigns often are directed at those in the community who deal with underage drinking. Retailers and bar operators are educated about how to check for proper identification to weed out fake IDs and reduce alcohol availability. They are encouraged to use the latest technology to decipher ID validity. Proactive aw enforcement is needed to help strengthen laws and increase the consequences teens receive.
Warning
Alcohol awareness programs, while trying to find solutions to the social and medical consequences of underage drinking and alcoholism, often fall short. According to professor Ruth Engs of the Applied Health Sciences Department at Indiana University, awareness programs aimed at teens face too many obstacles to be really effective. Teens believe they are untouchable and do not succumb to scare tactics. They believe consequences will not affect them. It often isn't until some personal tragedy strikes that teens take the warnings seriously.
