Written by Caroline Capriccio, Wellspring intern Founded and sponsored by the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (now Facing Addiction with NCADD), Alcohol Awareness Month provides a focused opportunity to increase awareness and understanding of alcohol addiction, its causes, effective treatment, and recovery. Established in 1987, Alcohol Awareness Month was developed to reduce the stigma associated with addiction. The goal is to encourage communities to reach out to the public and share information about alcoholism and recovery. The 2019 theme, “Help for Today, Hope for Tomorrow,” is designed to draw attention to the pervasive impact that alcohol has on young people, their friends, families, and communities. This message highlights the reality that help is available and recovery is possible. The month of April will be filled with local, state, and national events aimed at educating people about prevention and treatment of alcohol addiction. These events provide youth and their families...

By: Gina-Marie Miraglia Every April we observe Alcohol Awareness Month. During this observance, we aim to increase public awareness and understanding of alcoholism while breaking the stigmas connected to the disease. This year the theme is “Changing Attitudes: It’s not a ‘rite of passage.’” During the month of April; local, state, and national events will take place with the focus to educate people about prevention and treatment for alcoholism with a strong focus on educating the youth and their parents. When young individual uses or misuse alcohol they are not only putting themselves at risk, but society as a whole. Alcohol use is related to numerous issues such as; fatal car accidents, violence, suicide, overdose, unprotected sex, and other problematic behaviors. Parents often forgive underage drinking as a ‘rite of passage’, not realizing how detrimental ignoring this behavior can be. Research has shown that kids who have conversations with their parents...

The reason for this month’s column is the fact that every April we celebrate Alcohol Awareness Month. Alcohol Awareness Month was established in 1987 to help reduce the stigma so often associated with alcoholism by encouraging communities to reach out to the American public each April with information about alcohol, alcoholism and recovery. Alcoholism is a chronic, progressive disease, genetically predisposed and fatal if untreated. However people can and do recover. In fact, it is estimated that as many as 20 million individuals and family members are living lives in recovery! I am sure many of you can identify with this -- the time your teenager get into situations or become curious about the use of alcohol. As a parent, you want to be proactive in having conversations with your teen about the dangers of drinking early. If they do fall into experimenting with alcohol, it doesn’t necessarily mean there is...

Each April since 1987, the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc. (NCADD) has sponsored Alcohol Awareness Month to increase public awareness and understanding, reduce stigma and encourage local communities to focus on alcoholism and alcohol-related issues. With this year’s theme -- “Changing Attitudes: It’s not a ‘rite of passage.’ ” -- the month of April 2018 will be filled with local, state, and national events aimed at educating people about the treatment and prevention of alcoholism, particularly among our youth, and the important role that parents can play in giving kids a better understanding of the impact that alcohol can have on their lives. Local NCADD Affiliates as well as schools, colleges, churches, and countless other community organizations will sponsor a host of activities that create awareness and encourage individuals and families to get help for alcohol-related problems. Our Theme: “Changing Attitudes: It’s not a ‘rite of passage.’ ”...