[vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”Do you know the dangerous side effects of alcohol?” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_column_text]Did you know there are roughly 80,000 deaths that are related to alcohol abuse every year, making it the 3rd highest cause of death in the U.S.? Alcohol, a drug thousands of people consume regularly, is the third leading cause of death in the U.S. Although alcohol is only legal to those over the age 21, roughly 5,000 people under the age of 21 die from an alcohol-related incident including car crashes, homicides, suicides, and alcohol poisoning annually.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Approximately 17% of men and 8% of women will be dependent on alcohol in their lifetime. Women who are dependent on alcohol are 50 to 100 percent more likely to die from alcohol-related causes than men who are dependent on alcohol. Signs that you may be dependent on alcohol can vary from tremors and seizures, to feeling extreme anxiety when you aren’t drinking. People who feel they need alcohol to “relax” or “have a good time” are more likely to misuse alcohol or become addicted to alcohol. 5.1 million people ages 12-20 reported binge drinking in the past month. Binge drinking is when you drink 4 or more alcoholic beverages in one episode. Binge drinking often leads to alcohol poisoning, which left untreated can cause severe dehydration, coma and death.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Alcohol use can lead to long-term health issues like cardiovascular disease, cancer of the throat, liver, or mouth, anxiety and depression, dementia and liver disease. In a study done in 2009, alcohol related kidney disease was the cause for 1 in 3 kidney transplants in the U.S. Some alcohol related diseases can be partially or fully cured when drinking is stopped, which is why treatment for alcohol dependency is vital. With medical detox and intensive therapy, recovery from alcohol dependence is possible! Teens who start drinking before the age of 15 are more likely to develop alcohol dependence or substance use disorder later on in life. Youth who drink are 7.5 times more likely to use other illegal drugs and fifty times more likely to use cocaine than young people who never drink. One survey found that 32% of the heavy drinkers over 12 were also illegal drug users. If you believe you or a loved one may have a problem with alcohol, call or message our 24/7 admissions specialists for more information about treatment and recovery.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
