Alcoholism Facts

KILLS

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Alcohol will kill the Alcoholic in one way or another.

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1 in every 10 American women in peak reproductive years (18-24) drinks

enough alcohol (2 or more drinks a day) to jeopardize her unborn child

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1/3 of alcoholic deaths are from suicides or accidents such as drownings,

head injuries from falling (our father fell down 12 steps twice) or car crashed

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Only 14 percent of deaths actually caused by alcoholism are so labeled.

(our father’s death certificate says, secondary cause of death – chronic alcoholism)

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One in four American youngsters age 10 to 18 are at serious risk of becoming involved in abuse or alcohol and other drugs.

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Offspring of alcoholics are three to four times more likely to develop alcohol problems than are the offspring of non-alcoholics, regardless of the environment in which they are raised.

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Recent studies indicate that immediate relatives of alcoholics are seven times more likely than the general population to develop a similar drinking problem.

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As many as 3 million Americans over the age of 60 are alcoholics or have serious drinking problems

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An estimated 6.6 million children under 18 live in households with at least one alcoholic parent.

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About 43 percent of U.S. adults – 76 million people – have been exposed to alcoholism in the family: they grew up with or married an alcoholic or had a blood relative who was an alcoholic or problem drinker.

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Research has consistently found that higher levels of parental tolerance of adolescent drinking are associated with an earlier onset of drinking among offspring.

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It is estimated that of 260 million Americans, more than 28 million are children of alcoholics.