Alcohol Addiction in America:

Tackling Behavioral Health Issues in Peak Susceptible Age Group

Date of Event: Monday, June 20th 2022

Time of Event: 9:30 AM — 1:00 PM PST

Place of Event: Webinar

Overview

Approximately 14.5 million people ages 12 years and older struggle with Alcohol Use Disorder in the United States, yet only 7.2% received treatment in the year 2019 (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism). Likewise, among the 414,000 teenagers aged 12-17 years old with AUD, only 6.4% received treatment in 2019 (NIAAA). The severely low number of those seeking help is even further diminished by the fact that people with AUD are seen to likely seek help for alcohol-related issues rather than excessive drinking itself.

Economic burdens in the United States are caused by alcohol misuse and binge drinking. In 2019, $252 billion in alcoholic beverage purchases shows that the economic burden of $249 billion for alcohol misuse spent by the U.S. back in 2010 (which has only increased) should be discussed (Facing Addiction in America). In fact, the revenue of alcoholic beverages is estimated to be enough to fund all NIH research on alcoholism, alcohol use, and health for the next 453 years (NIH).

Behavioral health issues are the top cause of death among those aged 15 to 24. These include substance abuse, violence, risky driving, mental health, and risky sexual inclinations, all of which are subject to increased risk due to alcohol. Trying to implement programs into different stages of life, especially in the peak age group (around 20 years old), can be very difficult. Working on these programs as well as developing laws at the federal, state, and community level for taxes, alcohol-impaired driving, reducing alcohol availability, and more requires truly understanding the underlying issues in behavioral health issues. Learning to promote moderation when drinking instead of binge drinking and taking other measures to break through the barriers to alcohol misuse and developing alcohol use disorders is very important in researching policy recommendations for alcohol addiction.

Recently, mental health impacts are still seen to be affecting many people since daily life during COVID consisted of higher levels of drinking due to depression, anxiety, and the worry of financial issues because of the quarantines. Now that things are slowly opening back up, these levels might continue at higher levels than pre-COVID due to the daily usage during COVID. Mental health issues and the loneliness and boredom many faced as a result of quarantines offers a potential threat to healthy coping mechanisms by providing "fun" alternatives rather than acceptance/dealing with one's emotions. Figuring out how to help minimize the alcohol problem-solving and binge drinking issues presented by COVID, on top of the pre-COVID issues, is important to figure out how to best protect all age groups from this risky cycle that further increases the chances of alcoholism and alcohol misuse.

Programs, treatments, and mitigating adolescent risky behaviors that lead to increased risk of developing alcohol use disorders or other alcohol-induced issues should be looked into and figured out. Considering programs to help underlying mental health issues and provide alternative coping mechanisms that don't turn to alcohol would also be potentially beneficial in not just rehab, but the earlier stages of development. It is important to look into and consider policies to help curb alcoholism development that can fester and result in further complications for the individual, those around them, and the U.S. as a whole. 

Program

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