Alcohol dependence (or alcoholism) is a serious disease.
People who have alcoholism feel a strong need to drink alcohol and cannot control how much alcohol they drink.
If you drink too much alcohol at one time, you may experience:
Drinking very large amounts of alcohol could even cause you to “black out” or die.
Over time, people who drink a lot of alcohol have a higher risk of developing:
Eventually, alcohol dependence and abuse can lead to death.
Being involved in a car accident
Being involved in other types of accidents, including:
Falling down
Getting in a fight
Before you drink alcohol, you should ask your health care provider if alcohol is safe for you.
You should also ask your health care provider how much alcohol is safe for you to drink.
Talk to someone you trust! You can talk to:
You can also ask your friends, family members, and support providers to help you to stop drinking alcohol.
You can set limits on the amount of alcohol you drink.
Your doctor can help you to decide how much alcohol is safe for you to drink.
Ask your friends and support providers to help you to remember these limits!
Driving a car after drinking alcohol is very dangerous.
Drinking and driving can cause accidents that could hurt you and others.
Do not get into a car if the driver has been drinking alcohol.
The more alcohol you drink, the more dangerous driving becomes.
If you decide that you do not want to drink alcohol, that is okay.
Even if you are with people who are drinking, you can tell them that you do not drink alcohol.
Do not let other people pressure you into drinking alcohol if you do not want to, or if your doctor has told you that you should not.
Last updated on June 21st, 2010