Nursing /405
June 25, 2010
Community Health Strategies Alcohol abuse and alcoholism affects every gender, race, and nationality. Abuse of alcohol is a major cause of preventable deaths associated with violence, motor vehicle crashes, homicides, suicides, and is a leading cause of death among youth (Ringold, 2006). According to the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse (NIAAA), (2010), approximately 17.6 million people in the United States (about one in every 12 adults) abuse alcohol or are alcohol dependent, and 10.8 million youth ages 12-20 are underage drinkers. In this paper I will discuss strategies to improve the effect and outcomes of alcoholism regarding individuals, families, and youth in the community. Community Health Issue
Healthy People 2010 have issued a National Public Focus regarding the ten leading health indicators, and is a major health concern to the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). Healthy people 2010 addresses substance abuse as number four of the top ten leading health indicators, in which alcoholism affects the community in many ways (U.S. Dept. of Health, 2010). Alcohol abuse is a pattern that can be accompanied by failure to fulfill responsibilities such as work or school, and can have harmful, physical, emotional, and social consequences (Ringold, 2006). According to Ringold alcohol can turn into dependence, which can lead to more serious problems such as inability to stop drinking, tolerance (needing increased amounts), withdrawal symptoms (when stop drinking), and most often cannot be cured only treated.
The reason I have chosen alcoholism as my topic are many long- term affects I have witnessed regarding individuals, families of alcoholics, and my own family members, whose quality of life have and are negatively affected by alcohol abuse. The population I believe are most affected are children of an
References: American Public Health Association and Education Development Center, Inc.. (2008). Alcohol screening and brief intervention: A guide for public health practitioners.. Retrieved from http://http://www.sdcounty.ca.gov/hhsa/programs/bhs/documents/MHS_RFP3446_alcohol_screening_brief_intervention.pdf Center for Disease Control. (2010). Department of Health and Human Services: Alcohol Fast Facts. Retrieved from http://http://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/faqs.htm#12 Mathre, M. L. (2008). Alcohol, tobacco and other drug related problems. In Stanhope, M. & Lancaster, J, (Ed.)., Population-centered health care in the community (7th ed.). St Louis, MO: Mosby Elsevier. Ringold, S. (2006). Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Journal of the American Medical Association, 295(17), 733-734. Retrieved from http://jama.ama-assn.org San Diego County, (2001). Statistics. Retrieved from http://http://sdpublic.sdcounty.ca.gov/portal/page?_pageid=93%2C284149&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL&cx=012539596325067490683%3Ado_enbmtflk&cof=FORID%3A11&q=Alcohol+related+&sa.x=37&sa.y=9#1082 U.S. Department of Health. (2010). Healthy People 2010: Leading Health Indicators. Retrieved from http://from http://healthypeople. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. (2010). Retrieved from http://2. http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications