By Cecilia Bianco, April 06 2015
There are 2.5 million alcohol-related deaths worldwide every year. Approximately nine percent, or 320,000 of those deaths, are among young people aged 15-29.
April is Alcohol Awareness Month, and there are many ways to get involved to help create awareness and encourage individuals and families to get help for alcohol-related problems.
The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD) has sponsored Alcohol Awareness Month every April since 1987 and provides all the information and resources you’ll need to support this cause.
The theme for this year’s 2015 NCADD Alcohol Awareness Month was chosen to highlight the pervasive impact that alcohol, alcohol-related problems and alcoholism have on individuals, on families and children, in the workplace and in our communities: "For the Health of It: Early Education on Alcoholism and Addiction."
The NCADD provides many resources that help bring light to this issue and we are all encouraged to share them widely:
Drinking Too Much Too Fast Can Kill You
NCADD's Self-Test for Teenagers
Local NCADD Affiliates as well as schools, colleges, churches, and countless other community organizations will sponsor a host of activities to support this cause.
Many organizations have already joined in and are doing their part to raise awareness, including the following:
- National Institutes of Health (NIH)
- The National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN)
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
If you’re interested in hosting an event or spreading the word, NCADD also has an “Organizer’s guide” to make it easy and effective in your community! The Organizer’s guide includes:
- Theme, History, Stigma and Links to Additional Resources
- Sample Proclamation
- Sample Media Advisory and News Release
- Sample PSA scripts
- Sample Op-Ed Newspaper article
- Sample Letter to Editor
- Suggested Grassroots Community Activities: States, Communities, Schools,
- Students, Colleges, Media, Religious Organizations and Parents
For more information, visit the NCADD website.
Updated: February 08 2018