A New Epidemic – Alcoholism on the Rise in America

  “American alcohol consumption is on the rise, and it is now estimated that 1 in 8 Americans are alcoholics.”

Waking Times

Alex Pietrowski, Staff Writer

August 10, 2017

 

Alcohol is a most destructive drug. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that some 88,000 people a year die from excessive alcohol use, while over 10,000 people die each year as a result of drunk driving, a third of all traffic fatalities. Never-the-less, the alcohol industry continues to grow with nearly $500 billion a year in sales of beer, wine, and spirits. Big business, with big consequences.

 American alcohol consumption is on the rise, and it is now estimated that 1 in 8 Americans are alcoholics. This is a growing epidemic, as demonstrated by two surveys showing unprecedented increases in alcoholism.

“Two large surveys carried out in 2001-02 and 2012-13 have found that harmful levels of drinking are increasing among almost all demographics in the US. The number of teetotallers is falling, while high-risk drinking and alcoholism rose sharply during the 11-year period, according to an analysis published in JAMA Psychiatry.” [Source]

The rise is statistically significant, and the greatest increases were seen among those in the ‘severe’ use category, a sign that this trend is likely to produce an increase in alcohol related disease and accidents.

“The number of people who had consumed alcohol in the past 12 months went up 11.2% in the time between surveys. High-risk drinking went up by almost 30%. This means that at present about 29.6 million Americans are putting their health at risk due to their drinking habits.

The largest change was in the most severe alcohol use category. The number of people who had received a diagnosis of alcoholism over the period of the two studies shot up by 49%, affecting 12.7% of the total population. This means 1 in 8 Americans received a diagnosis of alcoholism in the year before the latest survey.” [Source]

Some experts blame the affordability of alcohol for the increase in abuse of alcohol.

“The price of alcohol has fallen sharply over recent decades, and that is the most compelling explanation for why the population is drinking more. Even the heaviest drinkers respond to changes in the cost of alcohol.” ~Keith Humphreys, a drug policy expert at Stanford University

This may indeed be relevant, however, it’s not just alcoholism that is rising to startling levels, but also the overuse of opioids and other drugs. As addiction expert Gabor Maté recently explained in an interview with Brian Rose of London Real how alcohol is used as an escape mechanism to dull the pain of unresolved trauma and past experiences which have had a lasting effect on one’s psyche.

READ: 20 COMMON THINGS PEOPLE REALIZE WHEN THEY QUIT DRINKING ALCOHOL

“It is a known by many that ingesting alcohol depresses the nervous system, kills brain cells, is toxic to the liver, weakens the immune system, and has many other harmful effects. We are taught that long-term alcohol use can lead to unwanted weight gain, diseases of the liver, lowering of intelligence, and negative effects on hormones. Drinking alcohol while pregnant can lead to birth defects, mental retardation, and deformities in the developing fetus. Yet still, it is mass promoted and supported by our mainstream culture. Have you ever considered that alcohol is a slick tool of the supporters of the Matrix (global mind control and oppression program) to keep people on a path of disempowerment and sickness?” [Source]

There are also spiritual consequences of drinking alcohol to excess, as noted by Zahra Sita:

“How many times have you or someone you know, after becoming quite intoxicated with alcohol, behaved in a manner uncommon to them? Perhaps you experienced the changing of voice, violence, sexual promiscuity, ingesting of harmful substances, destruction to property, conflictual behavior, and other negative expressions. Consider these experiences and ask yourself – is this the manifestation of light, love, and positivity? Do these occurrences represent a path of consciousness and health?” [Source]

Quitting alcohol has many positive benefits, and many people see common things change in their lives.

“Not drinking alcohol can give you a serious edge in a society where most everyone else is boozing it up on a regular basis. The zeitgeist of alcohol is that it makes life more fun, but the reality is that it is a massive industry pushed onto the public which has created a culture of self-destructive behavior.” ~Sofia Adamson

Read more articles by Alex Pietrowski.

About the Author

Alex Pietrowski is an artist and writer concerned with preserving good health and the basic freedom to enjoy a healthy lifestyle. He is a staff writer for WakingTimes.com. Alex is an avid student of Yoga and life.

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We need to stop romanticizing alcohol

Alcohol is too often portrayed a good, harmless fun, but it kills more than 5,000 people annually, year in and year out.

“First of all, drugs – all drugs – can be used responsibly, or irresponsibly.

Prohibition doesn’t work. We should legalize (and regulate) all drugs.”

Source: We need to stop romanticizing alcohol – The Globe and Mail

theglobeandmail.com

Andre Picard

June 27, 2017

There has been, in recent months, intense attention paid to the devastation wrought by opioids and endless debate about the potential health impacts of legalizing marijuana.

Meanwhile, we continue to be willfully blind to the damage done by a deadly, damaging and commonly used drug: alcohol.

That opioids overdoses caused an estimated 2,000 deaths in Canada last year is front-page news, and rightfully so. The spike in mortality is troubling. 

A Killer High: How Canada got addicted to fentanyl

But alcohol kills more than 5,000 people annually, year in and year out. (And, of course, there’s tobacco, which kills 37,000 Canadians a year, but at least we discuss and act upon the health impacts of smoking.) 

Alcohol is too often portrayed as good, harmless fun.

Yet a new report from the Canadian Institute for Health Information shows that 77,000 hospitalizations in Canada last year were entirely caused by alcohol – more than heart attacks. And that doesn’t include people treated in the ER for alcohol-related conditions and then released.

Alcohol kills and maims in a perversely diverse number of ways.

There are the acute problems such as alcohol poisoning (read: overdose), withdrawal and delirium. There are the long-term impacts such as cirrhosis of the liver, pancreatitis, an increased risk of developing several cancers and damage to the fetus such as fetal alcohol spectrum disorder and exacerbation of mental illness. All told, alcohol negatively affects more than 200 health conditions.

Alcohol misuse fuels violence, sexual assault, suicide and traumatic injuries, and does immeasurable damage to families and relationships.

 

Impaired driving not only kills – 1,497 deaths last year, including 883 involving alcohol, according to MADD Canada – but it is the single most common criminal offence in Canada; 30 per cent of all criminal charges are related to alcohol abuse or misuse.

Needless to say, all this is costly.

Alcohol misuse cost the economy $14.6-billion – in lost productivity, direct health costs and enforcement. But note that this number is from 2002, the most recent year for which data is available; why we don’t routinely measure the health and economic impact of a drug used by 80 per cent of adults beggars belief.

Now, at this point in the litany of alcohol’s sins, the pot people will be chomping at the bit, claiming “cannabis never killed anyone.” Some even suggest that we would be better off if there were fewer drinkers and more tokers.

Perhaps.

There are a number of lessons, good and bad, that can be taken from our experience with alcohol that can inform the legalization of marijuana and, to a lesser extent, the opioid-overdose crisis.

Continue:

We need to stop romanticizing alcohol – The Globe and Mail

Alcohol responsible for more hospital admissions than heart attacks last year: report

There were more hospital admissions in Canada last year for alcohol-related conditions than for heart attacks.

Source: Alcohol responsible for more hospital admissions than heart attacks last year: report – Health – CBC News

CC News

By Sherry Noik

Jun 22, 2017

Measurement could be ‘an important indicator for monitoring public health’

There were more hospital admissions in Canada last year for alcohol-related conditions than for heart attacks, the Canadian Institute for Health Information said. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Taking into account law enforcement, lost productivity as well as prevention and research initiatives, the estimated total cost of alcohol-related harm in Canada was more than $14 billion in 2002, the most recent year for which this data is available, CIHI said. About $3.3 billion of that was directly related to health care.

There were more hospital admissions in Canada last year for alcohol-related conditions than for heart attacks.

Alcohol poisoning, alcohol withdrawal, liver disease, chronic alcohol abuse and other conditions that are “100 per cent caused by the harmful consumption of alcohol” accounted for about 77,000 admissions, according to a report released Thursday by the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI).

That’s 212 each day, on average, not including those who were treated in emergency departments and released.

The 2015–2016 year was the first time CIHI has looked at this specific number, so there is no data from previous years to compare. To put the number in context, the number of admissions for heart attacks in the same period was 75,000.

“Our expectation is that this will be an important indicator for monitoring public health,” said Geoff Hynes, manager of the Canadian Population Health Initiative for CIHI. “We can look at patterns, which could inform what governments and the health system can do to address these high numbers.”

(Canadian Institute for Health Information)

The majority of alcohol-related hospitalizations were linked to mental health and addictions.

On average, there were more alcohol-related hospitalizations in the territories than in the provinces, and more in the west than in the east, with the exception of Nova Scotia.

Leading cause of injury and death

Excessive drinking carries a number of known health risks, including illnesses such as pancreatitis, liver cirrhosis, diabetes and cardiovascular disease — not to mention the risk of death.

In 2015, there were 5,082 alcohol-attributable deaths in Canada, according to a study by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation cited by CIHI.

In fact, the Public Health Agency of Canada says alcohol is a leading cause of injury and death in Canada, including those resulting from impaired driving and from illnesses with known links to alcohol, like certain types of cancer.

Costs to the health care system, to society

Alcohol abuse doesn’t harm just the abuser; there are measurable societal costs, too.

For instance, in 2014–2015, the average cost for hospitalization that was entirely caused by alcohol was estimated at $8,100, compared to the average hospital stay for other causes at $5,800. That’s mostly because of longer stays (11 days on average compared to seven days, respectively).

There are also broader social implications, the report said, such as unemployment, crime and the “substantial” impacts on people other than the drinker. These include injuries related to assault, workplace accidents, motor vehicle collisions, family disruption, violence and lost income.The toll on families, coworkers and communities is impossible to tally because the relationships between consumption and harm are complex, Hynes said. These are influenced by things like individual, cultural and social factors, as well as how government regulates consumption and accessibility.

CIHI found wide variations in the “alcohol policy landscapes” across Canada that showed no one factor can account for the differences in hospitalization rates.

(Canadian Institute for Health Information)

For instance, in Quebec, where beer and wine have been available in corner stores for years, there were fewer alcohol-related hospitalizations.

“So we know there is something else playing out,” Hynes said. 

Pricing controls are another area that varies from region to region: some have minimum prices for items at retail, others have minimum prices set at bars and restaurants, and others still index the price of liquor to inflation or to alcohol content.

And pricing, Hynes said, is “one of the most effective and cost-effective ways to reduce alcohol harm, population-wide.”

Basically, making liquor more expensive should curb consumption, as it did with cigarettes.

“For us, those differences represent opportunities for potential improvement,” Hynes said. “Measuring this, and monitoring these rates can help us identify whether the policies and approaches are effective in reducing alcohol harm.”

It will take “a strategy that brings together multiple effective policies” to reduce the harm caused by alcohol, Hynes said.

Is Big Alcohol Taking a Hit From Legal Weed?

The legal weed market appears to be impacting booze’s bottom line.

Source: Is Big Alcohol Taking a Hit From Legal Weed? | Alternet

 AlterNet

By Paul Armentano

June 19, 2017

According to one survey, 20 percent of Gen Xers and eight percent of boomers are making the switch from alcohol to pot.

 

Photo Credit: sruilk / Shutterstock

The legal weed market appears to be impacting booze’s bottom line.

Consumer trend data compiled by OutCo and Monocle Research finds that many California twenty-somethings, post-legalization, are switching from beer to pot. Marketers surveyed 2,000 cannabis consumers in seven major California cities. One-third of millennial respondents said that they are choosing cannabis over beer. One out of five acknowledged substituting weed for wine, and 14 percent admitted consuming herb rather than hard alcohol.

Older respondents, including baby boomers, also reported making the switch from booze to pot. According to the survey, 20 percent of Gen Xers and eight percent of boomers similarly acknowledged substituting pot in place of alcohol.

The findings provide further credence to a December 2016 report from the Cowan & Company research firm which determined that beer sales by major distributors – including Anheuser-Busch and MillerCoors – have “collectively underperformed” over the past two years in Colorado, Oregon, and Washington. In Denver, arguably the epicenter for the marijuana retail sales market, beer sales have fallen nearly seven percent, analysists concluded.

A March 2017 research report by the Cannabiz Consumer Group similarly indicates that cannabis is cutting in on beer’s popularity. Researchers reported that 27 percent drinkers surveyed said that they had either substituted cannabis for beer, or that they would do so in the future if retail weed sales become legal. The company estimated that beer sales could decline by as much as $2 billion if cannabis was legal nationwide.

Questions concerning whether cannabis typically acts as a substitute or as a complement to alcohol remain ongoing. But a 2014 literature review published in the journal Alcohol and Alcoholism indicates that the weight of the available evidence supports the former theory – particularly among young adults. Authors concluded: “While more research and improved study designs are needed to better identify the extent and impact of cannabis substitution on those affected by AUD (alcohol use disorder), cannabis does appear to be a potential substitute for alcohol. Perhaps more importantly, cannabis is both safer and potentially less addictive than benzodiazepines and other pharmaceuticals that have been evaluated as substitutes for alcohol.”

Survey data from states where medical cannabis has long been legally available frequently report declines in alcohol consumption. For instance, a 2011 patient survey from California reported that those qualified to access medicinal cannabis used alcohol at rates that were “significantly lower” than those of the general public. More recently, a study published this year in the Journal of Psychopharmacology reported that over 40 percent of state-registered medical marijuana patients acknowledged reducing their alcohol intake after initiating cannabis therapy.

Polling data finds that most Americans, and those between the ages 18 to 40 in particular, now believe that cannabis is far less harmful to health than alcohol. Their belief is supported by the relevant science. For example, alcohol possesses a dependence liability that is nearly twice that of cannabis, is a far greater contributor to traffic accidents, and is capable of causing organ failure and even death by overdose. According to a 2011 study comparing the physical, psychological, and social impact of the two substances: “A direct comparison of alcohol and cannabis showed that alcohol was considered to be more than twice as harmful as cannabis to [individual] users, and five times more harmful as cannabis to others (society). … As there are few areas of harm that each drug can produce where cannabis scores more [dangerous to health] than alcohol, we suggest that even if there were no legal impediment to cannabis use, it would be unlikely to be more harmful than alcohol.”

The fact that the legal marijuana market may pose potential challenges for the alcohol beverage industry is hardly going unnoticed. The topic was front and center at the 2016 Beer Industry Summit, according to reports from attendees. And last year, industry players contributed funds against voter-initiated legalization measures in Arizona and Massachusetts. (The Massachusetts initiative passed while the Arizona measure was defeated.)

Yet, given the ubiquitous role alcohol plays in American culture, it is hard to imagine a scenario where the emerging legal marijuana market presents a serious threat to Big Booze any time soon. After all, while federal lawmakers have endorsed Congressional resolutions “commending” US beer sales, they simultaneously refuse to amend federal law to even permit marijuana businesses to have relationships with banks or take standard payroll deductions. In short, as long as booze remains king on Capitol Hill, the cannabis industry will continue be engaged in an uphill battle for both respectability and market share.

Paul Armentano is the deputy director of NORML (National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws) and serves as a senior policy advisor for Freedom Leaf, Inc. He is the co-author of the book, Marijuana Is Safer: So Why Are We Driving People to Drink? (Chelsea Green, 2013).

I know how alcohol can ruin your mental health. So why is it so rarely discussed?

Source: I know how alcohol can ruin your mental health. So why is it so rarely discussed? | Matthew Todd | Opinion | The Guardian

http://www.theguardian.com

Matthew Todd

May 11, 2017

Despite the links between drinking and mental health problems, therapists are reluctant to discuss it. My wake-up call came at a Daniel Radcliffe shoot

‘Less discussed are the mental health consequences of drinking.’ Photograph: Alamy

It’s amazing to see the British finally begin to talk about our feelings. But even as we mark this year’s Mental Health Awareness week, there’s still an elephant in the therapist’s waiting room: alcohol.

The physical health risks of drinking are well known. Less discussed are the mental health consequences. These are real and significant, and seem to be getting worse. For instance, the number of people admitted to hospital with alcohol-related behavioural disorders has risen in the last 10 years by 94% for people aged between 15 and 59, and by 150% for people over 60.

Alcohol played a key part in my own problems but it took me years to come out of denial about it.

I never drank in the morning or in parks, just in a British way, bingeing along with, well, everybody else. I didn’t question it because no one else seemed concerned.

Presenting to therapists over the years with anxiety, patterns of self-destructive compulsive behaviour, swinging between thinking I was the most important and the most worthless person on the planet, they barely asked how much I was tipping down my neck. And it was a lot.

The more I drank to medicate my low self-esteem, the worse my anxiety got and the more I drank to dull it. Years passed and I couldn’t see I was stuck right in the classic “cycle of addiction”.

Eventually a friend of mine who had gone into Overeaters Anonymous sheepishly suggested I might have a problem. I resented it hugely. I was successful with a good job. There was no problem.

Eventually, it was a work incident that woke me up. As editor of Attitude magazine, I believed it would be culturally significant to have Harry Potter on the cover of a gay magazine. When Daniel Radcliffe, who played Harry in the film franchise, agreed, the only gap in his schedule for a shoot was early on a Sunday morning, which was annoying. Saturday night was my favourite time to go out. But fine. I could do this.

Continue:

I know how alcohol can ruin your mental health. So why is it so rarely discussed? | Matthew Todd | Opinion | The Guardian

Study Shows That Alcohol, Not Marijuana Is The Major “Gateway Drug”

Source: Study Shows That Alcohol, Not Marijuana Is The Major “Gateway Drug”

thefreethoughtproject.com

ByJohn Vibes

August 8, 2015

A recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Florida has shown that alcohol is far more of a “gateway drug” than marijuana is.

The study concluded that:

image: http://pixel.watch/qut7

Results from the Guttman scale indicated that alcohol represented the “gateway” drug, leading to the use of tobacco, marijuana, and other illicit substances. Moreover, students who used alcohol exhibited a significantly greater likelihood of using both licit and illicit drugs. The findings from this investigation support that alcohol should receive primary attention in school-based substance abuse prevention programming, as the use of other substances could be impacted by delaying or preventing alcohol use. Therefore, it seems prudent for school and public health officials to focus prevention efforts, policies, and monies, on addressing adolescent alcohol use.

According to the study’s co-author, Adam E. Barry, the later in life that a person consumes alcohol, the less likely they are to abuse drugs. Also, it seems that in most cases, use of alcohol and tobacco comes earlier in life than the use of marijuana.

“By delaying the onset of alcohol initiation, rates of both licit substance abuse like tobacco and illicit substance use like marijuana and other drugs will be positively affected, and they’ll hopefully go down,” Barry said in an interview with Raw Story.

Barry said that his studies were intended to correct some of the propaganda that has infected American culture since the “Reefer Madness” era.

“Some of these earlier iterations needed to be fleshed out, that’s why we wanted to study this. The latest form of the gateway theory is that it begins with [marijuana] and moves on finally to what laypeople often call ‘harder drugs.’ As you can see from the findings of our study, it confirmed this gateway hypothesis, but it follows progression from licit substances, specifically alcohol, and moves on to illicit substances,” Barry said.

“So, basically, if we know what someone says with regards to their alcohol use, then we should be able to predict what they respond to with other [drugs]. Another way to say it is, if we know someone has done [the least prevalent drug] heroin, then we can assume they have tried all the others. I think [these results] have to do with level of access children have to alcohol, and that alcohol is viewed as less harmful than some of these other substances,” Barry added.

Just like prescription pills and tobacco, alcohol is seen as more socially acceptable in American society because the government approves of it. However, these substances are largely more dangerous than many of the illegal drugs that people have a deep fear of.

Since certain drugs are taken less seriously, people are more likely to abuse them and not keep their addiction in check. That is not to say that these legal drugs should be banned as well, in fact, all drugs should be legalized so honest discussions can be had about the uses and dangers of each drug.

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John Vibes is an author, researcher and investigative journalist who takes a special interest in the counter culture and the drug war. In addition to his writing and activist work he organizes a number of large events including the Free Your Mind Conference, which features top caliber speakers and whistle-blowers from all over the world. You can contact him and stay connected to his work at his Facebook page. You can find his 65 chapter Book entitled “Alchemy of the Timeless Renaissance” at bookpatch.com.

Paradigm Shift: Study Finds 51% of Millennials Giving Up All Alcohol for Cannabis

This is good news. John Wayne is dead, long live Willie Nelson! These millennials will give us a more compassionate society than their parents did. 

“It appears alcohol’s status is changing quickly with pot legalization, and people will be safer for it. About 88,000 people died from excessive alcohol use over a four-year period, and alcohol-impaired driving killed almost 10,000 in 2014.”

As cannabis legalization spreads, people can finally turn to a much safer recreational substance without fear of being thrown in a cage.

Source: Paradigm Shift: Study Finds 51% of Millennials Giving Up All Alcohol for Cannabis

thefreethoughtproject.com

By Justin Gardner

April 21, 2017

Chart via Outco

With the widespread legalization of cannabis taking hold after the historic Nov. 2016 state votes, the news just keeps getting worse for the alcohol industry. They knew it would happen, too, which is why the alcohol lobby – predicting a $2 billion loss in revenue – engaged, and mostly failed, in a campaign to keep pot illegal.

A Dec. 2016 report has already shown the effects, as three states with legal recreational cannabis are seeing beer markets shrinking. A new survey suggests this trend is going to get much more pronounced, with the younger generation turning to cannabis as the recreational substance of choice.

The survey, titled California Millennials Say No to Alcohol and Yes to Marijuana, found that an astonishing percentage of millennials – meaning those born from about the early 1980s to the early 2000s – will be choosing cannabis over alcohol.

“Millennials will be more open to diversity in their consumption of recreational substances than older generations, with more than 50% of them substituting cannabis for alcohol altogether.

The study further shows that one in five Generation Xers will be substituting cannabis for alcohol, as will 8% of baby boomers.”

These numbers are especially significant, considering that almost 39 million people live in California and the state’s economy is bigger than that of some countries. The alcohol lobby is surely shaking in their boots, looking for lawmakers willing to work against the will of the voters for the right price.

The reasons given by survey respondents for choosing this beneficial plant over alcohol are just as interesting – and encouraging.

“In regards to safety, many expressed the fear of making poor decisions when consuming alcohol, which included driving over the legal limit.

Cost also came into play, with many stating that their overall spend on alcohol outstrips that of high quality cannabis.

Finally, health was stated as a factor when substituting cannabis for alcohol. Participants shared that the effects of a hangover from alcohol lasted the entire next day, while high volumes of cannabis usage had no noticeable lasting effects; thereby making them feel healthier and more active.”

All of this reflects a larger understanding among people that it is time to end pot prohibition. Results from a Quinnipiac University National Poll, published on 4/20, found the highest ever support among voters for legalization.

The survey found that 94 percent of U.S. voters support legalizing medical cannabis, while 60 percent support recreational legalization. It also found that people overwhelmingly oppose government enforcement of federal laws against cannabis in states that have legalized recreational or medical cannabis.

If the Trump administration follows through with its hints at escalating the war on weed, it’s a sure-fire way to infuriate the masses. Attorney General Jeff Sessions seems mired in the Reefer Madness era, with a track record of promoting falsehoods about the supposed dangers of cannabis.

Alcohol has enjoyed decades of being the government-approved recreational drug, after the disastrous Prohibition era. Government soon learned it could reap massive profits from alcohol through extortion fees (licensing) and so-called “sin taxes.”

But it appears alcohol’s status is changing quickly with pot legalization, and people will be safer for it. About 88,000 people died from excessive alcohol use over a four-year period, and alcohol-impaired driving killed almost 10,000 in 2014.

Meanwhile, no one has ever died from excessive cannabis ingestion, and the impairment factor is not even close to alcohol. Some studies have shown little to no driving impairment from cannabis, but of course, this depends on a person’s frequency of use. People arrested for ‘driving while high’ are convincing juries that they were not, in fact, impaired.

The markets are changing quickly, and will be very interesting to watch as cannabis legalization continues. Surveys like the one described above are a sure indication of where to put one’s investment money.