CURRENT ALCOHOL CONCERNS

Adult Children of Alcoholic  Parents

In recent years a new dimension of alcoholism has been identified – the unusually high prevalence of alcoholism among adult children of alcoholics (ACOAs).  It is estimated that these children are about four times more likely to develop alcoholism than children whose parents are not alcoholics.  Even the ACOAs who do not become alcoholics may have a difficult time adjusting to everyday living.  Janet Geringer Woitiz, author of the best-selling book Adult Children of Alcoholics, describe thirteen traits that most ACOAs exhibit to some degree.

In response this concern, support groups have been formed to help prevent the adult sons and daughters of alcoholics from developing the condition that afflicted their parents.  If a stronger link for an inherited genetic predisposition to alcoholism is found, these groups may play an even greater role in the prevention of alcoholism.

Women and Alcohol

For decades, women have consumed less alcohol and had fewer alcohol-related problems than men.  At present, evidence is mounting that a greater percentage of women are choosing to drink and that some subgroups of women, especially young women, are drinking more heavily.  An increased number of admissions of women to treatment centers may also reflect that alcohol consumption among women is on the rise.

Studies indicate that currently there are almost as many female as male alcoholics.  However, there appear to be differences between men and women when it comes to alcohol abuse: (1) More women than men can point to a specific triggering event (such as divorce, death of a spouse, a career change, or children leaving home) that started them drinking heavily. (2) Alcoholism among women often starts later and progresses more quickly than alcoholism among men.  (3) Women tend to be prescribed more mood-altering drugs than men.  So women face greater risk of drug interaction or cross-tolerance.  (4) Nonalcoholic men tend to divorce their alcoholic spouses nine times more often than nonalcoholic women divorce their alcoholic spouses.  Thus alcoholic women are not as likely to have a family support system to aid them in their recovery attempts.  (5) Female alcoholics do not tend to receive as much social support as men in their treatment and recovery.  (6) Unmarried, divorced, or single-parent women tend to have significant economic problems that may make entry into a treatment program especially difficult.  (7) women seem to be more susceptible than men to medical complications resulting from heavy drinking.  In light of the generally recognized educational, occupational, and social gains made by women during the last two decades, it will be interesting to see whether these male-female differences continue.  What’s your best guess?

Alcohol Advertising

Every few years, careful observers can see subtle changes in the ways the alcoholic beverages industry markets its products.  Recently, the marketing push appears to be directed toward minorities (through advertisements for malt liquor and fortified wines), women (through wine and wine cooler ads), and youth (through trendy, young adult-orieted commercials), and spiffy websites.

On the college campus, aggressive alcohol campaigns have used rock stars, beach party scenes, athletic event sponsorships, and colorful newspaper supplements as vehicles to encourage the purchase of alcohol.  Critics claim that most of the collegiate advertising is directed at the “below age 21” crowd and that the prevention messages are not strong enough to offset the potential health damage to this population.  How do you feel about alcohol advertising on your campus? If you’re a nontraditional age student, do you find the advertising campaigns amusing or potentially dangerous.?