Alcohol screening
MARTINSBURG, W.Va. - National Alcohol Screening Day screenings will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday, April 6, at Martinsburg Mall and the Community and Technical College of Shepherd.
For most adults, moderate alcohol use causes few, if any, problems. But for some, any alcohol use may lead to significant health problems. Alcohol affects your body differently at different times in your life. To protect yourself, it is important to know the facts about alcohol and pay attention to how, when and why you drink.
Alcohol facts:
- Women overall drink less than men but are more likely to experience adverse consequences including damage to the heart muscle, liver, and brain, trauma resulting from auto crashes, interpersonal violence, and death.
- As people grow older, their bodies are less able to handle alcohol safely. Alcohol-related problems, including interactions with prescription and over-the-counter drugs, account for most of the known substance- related problems experienced by older adults.
- Young persons reporting first use of alcohol before age 15 were more than five times as likely to have past alcohol dependence or abuse compared with persons who first used alcohol at age 21 or older.
- Alcohol can damage a fetus at any stage of pregnancy. Damage can occur in the earliest weeks of pregnancy, even before a woman knows she is pregnant. Therefore, no amount of alcohol consumption can be considered safe during pregnancy.
- Moderate alcohol use is defined as up to two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women and older people. (One drink equals one 12-ounce bottle of beer or wine cooler, one 5-ounce glass of wine, 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits.)
To help determine how alcohol affects your health, attend one of the free, anonymous screenings held at thousands of sites across the country on National Alcohol Screening Day, April 6. This one-day education and screening event is designed to raise awareness on alcohol and health, help individuals evaluate their alcohol use, and provide referrals to local treatment and support resources for those who need further evaluation.
