|
|
|
|
Alcohol is the most commonly used substance in this country and the third leading lifestyle-related cause of death. More than 80,000 deaths a year are attributed to alcohol due to medical illnesses and unintentional accidents. Only tobacco and poor diet and inactivity account for more lifestyle-related causes of death.
Excessive drinking can result in alcohol abuse or alcohol dependence. Both conditions interfere with one’s physical and mental health as well as social, family or job responsibilities. Alcohol dependence, or alcoholism — the more serious of the two — is a chronic illness that can be treated, but not cured. Although the rate of heavy drinking is lower in blacks than in whites, blacks often suffer more serious health and social consequences as a result of their drinking.
|
|
|
|
