Why is alcohol awareness month important?
Alcohol addiction and abuse are a considerable burden on government spending; it also claims thousands of lives across the country each year. Some notable statistics on alcohol addiction include:
- More than 65 million Americans report binge drinking or heavy drinking in a one-month period, which is more than 40% of those who drink alcohol
- In 2018, there were 10,511 alcohol-impaired driving fatalities, totaling 29% of all traffic fatalities for the year
- Teen alcohol use kills 4,700 people each year, more than all illegal drugs combined.
By making people more aware of the situation and the viable solutions, alcohol awareness month aimed to reduce the pain and suffering alcohol abuse causes to people’s lives.
Who participates in alcohol awareness month?
Anyone interested in raising awareness about the risks of alcohol abuse. Organizations such as schools, healthcare facilities, general practitioners, community coalitions, faith-based organizations, law enforcement, and substance abuse treatment organizations were encouraged to create initiatives that would help educate communities about alcohol addiction and invite them to participate in campaigns and activities that would be inclusive to all.
Why us (Marriage and Family Therapy Solutions): Through a grant from the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS), Marriage and Family Therapy Solutions have partnered to implement the Equity at Intercept 0 project. This project’s aim is twofold:
- Increase participation of providers of color in crisis services
- Increase the number of students of color seeking jobs in crisis services
We are in the preliminary stages of launching this exciting project, and I am super excited to get this project off the ground! We wanted to keep you informed; follow us on social media!
If you would like to hear more about how you can help answer the call to improve the quality of behavioral health crisis response in the Greater Prince William Area, please get in touch with us at Laurie.wilson@mftsva.com and sign up here for our Newsletter.