Close to half of the U.S. alcohol industry’s revenues come from abuse or misuse of the product, as researchers find that this portion of revenues come from underage drinkers or adults who drink excessive amounts.
In 1999, over $116 billion was spent on alcohol in the United States, with $22.5 billion linked to underage drinking and $34.4 billion linked to excessive adult drinking.
Moreover, the study, which included data from 217,192 people aged 12 years or older, found that half of people between the ages on 12 and 20 years drink alcohol. Each month, about 4.21 billion alcoholic beverages are consumed, 20 percent of which are consumed by people under 21 years of age.
Further, more than 30 percent of adults who drank alcohol had more than two drinks every day, which is considered excessive drinking.
In response to these findings, the alcohol industry has been urged to adopt measures to cut back on alcohol abuse by adults as well as underage drinking. Proposed measures include establishing an independent foundation to reduce alcohol misuse and including detailed information about the risks of drinking on product labels.
The definition of excessive alcohol use would also be included on labels. Federal guidelines define moderate drinking as no more than one beverage a day for women and no more than two drinks daily for men.
Parents could also help in educating their children about alcohol abuse, as previous research has shown that kids whose parents are involved in their lives are less likely to abuse alcohol.
Researchers noted that many adults provide access to alcohol for underage drinking, seeing it as a ‘rite of passage’ without considering consequences. Alcohol plays a role in many teenage deaths, including accidents, homicides and suicides, and can also increase the likelihood of risky sex, which may lead to pregnancy or infection with a sexually transmitted disease.
The alcohol industry could help to prevent alcohol-related illness and death by contributing efforts to curb alcohol misuse and abuse, even if it leads to lower revenues, researchers said.
JAMA February 26, 2003;289:989-995,1031-1035
Most alcohol abuse and misuse stems from deep emotional challenges. Addressing these issues at a deep level is imperative to avoid the negative health consequences--both physical and mental--that inevitably result from excessive drinking.
Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) works remarkably well in resolving these types of underlying problems. I use this psychological acupressure technique routinely in my practice and find that it works better than any other traditional or alternative method I have tried.
For step-by-step instructions on how to perform this effective technique view my free EFT manual, or get more in-depth information with my EFT Series on DVD or VHS.
However, if you try the technique yourself and find that you are not improving, consider consulting a trained EFT therapist to facilitate the process. You can review EFT practitioner Gary Craig's EFT Practitioner Referrals to find a practitioner near you.
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