ALCOHOL

ABUSE
SOCIETAL ISSUE PROBLEM
INTRODUCTION
 Alcohol is part of our society. People use it to celebrate,
socialize, relax, and enhance the enjoyment of meals. Nearly
90 percent of adults in the Philippines report that they drank
alcohol at some point in their lifetime, and more than half
report drinking in the last month, Althoughh most people
drink in moderation, 
WHAT IS ALCOHOL ABUSE?
 In the Philippines, alcohol is the most commonly used and
misused substance. It can be addictive.Not everyone who
consumes alcohol will become addicted, but there are certain
people who may be more susceptible to addiction.
 The effects alcohol has can vary between people, and there are
factors that influence those effects, including age, health status,
family history, and how much and how often one drinks. It should
be noted that alcohol addiction and abuse are not the same.
COMMON METHODS OF
ALCOHOL ABUSE
 Binge Drinking
 Binge drinking is excessive drinking that is defined as 5 or
more drinks in 2 hours for a man and 4 or more drinks for a
woman. Most people who are binge drinkers are not identified
as alcohol dependent.
PREGNANT WOMEN AND
ALCOHOL
 Alcohol can present various dangers during pregnancy, and
there is no known level of use that is considered safe. All
types of alcohol are dangerous.
 Drinking while pregnant is dangerous because the alcohol is
passed on to the baby and can cause miscarriage; stillbirth;
and numerous physical, behavioral, and intellectual
development issues, including low body weight, poor
coordination, hyperactive behavior, poor memory, learning
disabilities, poor judgment skills, visions or hearing problems.
TEEN ALCOHOL USE
 Many teenagers misuse alcohol due to the accessibility of the
substance and peer pressure. In fact, alcohol tops the list of
drugs used by teenagers, per the National Institute on Drug
Abuse. In fact, more than 8% of 8th graders, 18% of
10th graders, and 30% of 12th graders were current alcohol
drinkers in 2018.
TEENAGERS WHO MISUSE
ALCOHOL
May exhibit signs including low energy, having alcohol
 

paraphernalia, concentration problems, problems with

coordination, mood swings, changing social circles, declining
academic performance, behavioral issues/rebelling, smelling of
alcohol.12,13
SIGNS AND HEALTH EFFECTS
OF REGULAR ALCOHOL USE
 Binge drinking and excessive use of alcohol has a wide
range of consequences, from nausea and headaches from a
hangover to severe liver problems from chronic drinking. In
the short-term, drinking too much can be very dangerous,
sometimes deadly. Effects may include:
HOW TO PREVENT ALCOHOL
ABUSE?
 There are many reasons a person may want to actively
avoid alcohol abuse. Perhaps a family member struggles
with alcoholism, or the weekly night out with friends is
happening several times a week, or the last hangover
lasted for two days.
 Whatever the reason, there are preventative measures
you can put in place to help you avoid alcohol abuse and
the risk of developing alcohol addiction.
DON’T KEEP ALCOHOL AT
HOME
 If you don’t have alcohol at home, you can’t drink it. Being
unable to simply go to the cupboard or the fridge to grab
a drink can keep you from developing a pattern of alcohol
use that can easily develop into abuse or addiction.
 Restricting access to alcohol at home can also work to
prevent you from emotional drinking or boredom. Only
drinking in social settings helps you maintain some
accountability as well.
SURROUND YOURSELF WITH
NON-DRINKERS
 Sometimes we don’t realize that our drinking is a problem
until it is out of our hands. Thankfully there are programs,
services, and support groups that can help us get back on
our path and reach our goals.
 Swift River’s alcohol abuse treatment program offers
rehabilitation for those who are seeking to make changes
and move forward into recovery.
TREATMENT CAN ALWAYS BE
AN OPTION
 Sometimes we don’t realize that our drinking is a problem
until it is out of our hands. Thankfully there are programs,
services, and support groups that can help us get back on
our path and reach our goals.
 Swift River’s alcohol abuse treatment program offers
rehabilitation for those who are seeking to make changes
and move forward into recovery.
THE END😄😄😄