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Alcohol abuse and dependency report shows that 30 percent of Americans have met the criteria, yet only a fraction receive treatment

A new report from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) found that more than 30 percent of Americans, at some time in their lives, have met the criteria for alcohol abuse or dependence. Most of these people never received any treatment, and those who did often didn’t get treatment for 10 years or more – 10 years of alcoholism that could have been avoided with early and effective alcohol detox and rehab.

These report refers to data from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC), which surveyed 43,000 U.S. adults. The researchers found that only 24 percent of those who met the criteria for alcohol dependence received any type of treatment, and just 7 percent of those who met the criteria for alcohol abuse received treatment. That’s a very disheartening statistic. And just as bad or even worse is the fact that most of those people surveyed developed alcohol problems in their early 20s but didn’t get treatment until their early 30s, if at all. Think of the damage caused by that lost decade – lost families, lost jobs, lost lives – all for the lack of a few weeks or months of alcohol detox and rehab.

The survey had no answer for why so few people received treatment, or why it took so long for many of them to get it. However, other studies indicate that both those who provide treatment and those who receive it may have low expectations when it comes to results. Bridget Grant, Ph.D., the principal investigator in the NESARC, said statistics prove that treatment can significantly and substantially increase the likelihood of recovery, and that both professionals and the general public need to be educated on the signs of alcohol abuse and dependence.

If you or someone you care about has a problem with alcohol, don’t wait for 10 years to get help. A successful alcohol detox program followed by alcohol rehab if needed could prevent a lot of damage.

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Too bad we don’t have as much money to spend as the advertisers

Georgetown University’s Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth (CAMY) recently conducted a study on alcohol advertising. They unearthed some remarkable data: between 2001 and 2005 alcohol companies spent $4.9 billion on TV advertising and only $104 million on what is known as ‘responsibility’ ads – ads that discourage alcohol abuse and addiction.

Adonis Hoffman, Senior VP and counsel for the American Association of Advertising Agencies, said he felt the CAMY study was slanted. “These ads, when combined with messages from parents, schools, churches, coaches, and peers, reinforce the notion that responsible consumption is everybody’s business.”

Yes, it is everybody’s business. But those parents, schools, churches, coaches and peers don’t have $4.9 billion to invest in counteracting the effects of the advertising. And, quite frankly, when you’re talking about 14 million Americans who drink enough to meet the criteria for ‘alcohol abuse’, that might be what it takes. It certainly will take more than the $58 million taxpayers already spend to fight it.

Selling alcohol must be an interesting occupation. Really, how does it feel to make a living selling something that could cause another driver, who consumed your product, kill your kid or family the next time you go for a Sunday drive. How does it feel to know that you’re at least partially responsible for helping 14 million Americans overcome life’s barriers with something that causes brain damage?

From where I’m sitting, selling alcohol is a form of alcohol abuse in itself. Perhaps we’d start getting a handle on the problem if the manufacturers and advertisers were first in line for alcohol detox.

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