David Rofofsky | April 22, 2022

How to Get Involved in Alcohol Awareness Month in Los Angeles

Alcohol Abuse in America

Alcohol is a widely abused substance in the United States, with approximately 95,000 Americans dying each year from alcohol-related issues. It is a drug that contributes to over two hundred afflictions, diseases, and injuries, and alcohol abuse directly correlates to reckless behavior like drunk driving, sexual assault, falls, drownings, and violence. In fact, impairment due to alcohol was responsible for 31% of all driving fatalities in 2018. 

Alcoholism and alcohol addiction is a chronic substance use disorder. According to the National Survey of Drug Use and Health Data (2018), there are over 14 million alcoholics in the USA, with over 400,000 of them under the age of 18, a fact that is especially disturbing because of data showing that those who drink heavily as an adolescent may suffer permanent brain damage. 

Because alcohol is so prevalent in America, it is legal and is readily available wherever you go. There are myths and misunderstandings surrounding this substance, and it has been shown that education surrounding drinking and addiction is the best substance use disorder prevention method for alcohol. For this reason, Alcohol Awareness Month exists to provide correct information about the disease of alcoholism and the effects alcohol abuse can have on a person. 

Click here to call Muse Addiction Center today. Our staff is available 24/7 to provide answers and begin the admissions process. Call (800) 426-1818.

The History of Alcohol Awareness Month

Alcohol Awareness Month was created by the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD) in 1987 to spread awareness to college students about the risks of alcohol misuse but has grown over time to help people of all ages. Medical, political, scientific, and social experts work together every April to advocate for accessible alcohol addiction treatment resources, make information available to everybody, and fight the stigma of alcoholism, so more people reach out for help. This organization also helps those struggling with alcohol addiction through the National Network of Affiliates, removing barriers to treatment in these community resource centers.

Did you know certain foods can help with alcohol cravings? Learn more below:

https://musetreatment.com/blog/5-foods-that-actually-reduce-alcohol-cravings/

5 Foods That Actually Reduce Alcohol Cravings

Getting Involved With Alcohol Awareness Month

Anybody can be involved with Alcohol Awareness Month. Team up with local organizations, function as an individual, or work with local substance abuse treatment centers to provide information about alcohol abuse and treatments to your community. Learn the facts about alcohol abuse and addiction, and spread the word through:

  • Public events to promote awareness, like block parties, town hall meetings, or alcohol-free gatherings
  • Social media or print media campaigns addressing alcohol abuse prevention and control
  • Talk to people you know, providing them with information on how to help a loved one with a drinking problem
  • Abstain from alcohol yourself

For more information on ways to get involved with Alcohol Awareness month, you may wish to check out:

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) underage drinking prevention campaign. This campaign is aimed at parents and other adults, providing talking points to bring up when discussing substance use with children as young as nine years old.

The Community of Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) has also worked with the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth (CAMY) to create actionable alcohol consumption prevention strategies.

Some sober-friendly places to go in the Los Angeles area for Alcohol Awareness Month include:

Pacific Park

Between Disneyland, Knott’s Berry Farm, and Six Flags, there is no shortage of amusement park fun in the Los Angeles area. A lesser-known, historical, and admission-free amusement park you may also want to visit is found at the Santa Monica Pier: Pacific Park. Visit the pier for fishing, food, the arcade, and the incredible atmosphere.

380 Santa Monica Pier, Santa Monica, CA 90401

Chinatown

Chinatown in LA is a popular shopping and dining destination, with traditional Chinese restaurants, dim sum houses, Asian Fusion restaurants, Chinese bakeries, gift shops, art galleries, and specialty grocery stores. Chinatown Summer Nights is an exciting annual cultural event with a block party feel, with food from gourmet food trucks, Chinese cooking demonstrations, hands-on lessons, and Chinese cultural activities during the warm summer evenings.

713n N Hill St, Los Angeles, CA 90012

Hollywood Forever Cemetery

Los Angeles shows do not all happen in dingy bars. There are plenty of sober-friendly plays, comedy shows, movies, musicals, and concerts to enjoy at various indoor and outdoor venues throughout the city. See a film screening at Hollywood Forever Cemetery for a night you will not soon forget.

6000 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90038

When to Seek Treatment for Alcohol Abuse

 Knowing when to seek treatment for alcohol addiction can be difficult, so here is how alcohol abuse is defined:

  • Binge drinking: consuming substantial amounts of alcohol at one time – for men, this is five drinks in two hours, and for women, it is four drinks in two hours.
  • Heavy drinking: two drinks a day, or fourteen drinks a week for men, and one drink per day or seven per week for women

It is essential to seek treatment for alcohol misuse as soon as possible, as even short-term binge drinking or heavy drinking can have devastating health effects that can affect your quality of life. When your alcohol abuse begins to cause problems in your life, affecting relationships, work, health, and overall well-being, but you cannot stop drinking, you may have an addiction. The definition of an alcoholic is a person with a substance use disorder (SUD), experiencing withdrawal symptoms and intense cravings when they try to cut back or quit drinking, with compulsions to drink that are extremely strong, accompanied by disordered thinking and a loss of control over drinking. 

Common signs of alcoholism include:

  • Continuing to drink even when you no longer want to and when it causes problems within your family, job, and health
  • Avoiding social interactions and responsibilities, with drinking being prioritized over the needs of others, and constantly planning where your next drink will come from
  • Experiencing uncontrollable mood swings and irritability
  • A growing tolerance to alcohol, needing to drink more to achieve the same levels of intoxication
  • Being unable to have “just one” drink, losing control when drinking
  • Experiencing withdrawal symptoms when trying to stop drinking, feeling the need for alcohol just to get through the day, including drinking alone or in the morning

If these signs sound familiar, it may be time to seek professional help to stop drinking. Over time, heavy alcohol abuse may lead to issues such as:

  • Cirrhosis
  • Depression or self-harm
  • Dementia
  • Gout
  • Cancer
  • Anemia
  • Nerve damage
  • High blood pressure
  • Seizures
  • Risk of falling and injury

It is not advisable to quit drinking independently, as relapse is likely. The withdrawal symptoms can quickly escalate to dangerous and even deadly levels, with flu-like symptoms evolving into seizures and delirium tremens. Medical care is recommended, with a medically assisted detox program, followed by rehabilitation being the safest and most effective way to quit drinking. 

Muse Treatment Center Los Angeles Alcohol Rehab

 At Muse Treatment Center in Los Angeles, we can help you stop drinking safely and address mental health issues and trauma to find the underlying causes of your addiction. We can help you move forward in your life with help from our life skills and case management coaches. 

Our medically assisted treatment (MAT) detox program provides you with a safe, sober place to stay as you detox, with doctors and nursing staff, 24-hour clinical care, medications to keep you comfortable and avoid seizures and other health issues, therapy, and counseling. We also provide the means to move directly from detox into a rehabilitation program created to suit your unique needs as a person. 

Rehab at Muse Treatment Center is an integrated treatment program with therapy and treatments like:

 • Behavioral therapy or other one-on-one therapy

• Nutrition and physical fitness counseling

• Educational programs and lectures

• Group therapy and process groups

• Mindfulness

• Art therapy

• Family therapy

• Life skills/vocational skills programs

• Spirituality and 12-step methodologies

We have inpatient and outpatient programs, including a transitional Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) that provides full days of treatments as you live outside our facility. Our Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) is given during evenings and weekends so you can return to your life after inpatient rehab while still receiving complete treatment and support through medical care, therapy, groups, and case management. 

In all of our addiction treatment programs, our non-judgmental staff, doctors, and therapists can help you address the underlying causes of addiction. We can provide dual diagnosis treatments for mental health issues, assist you in regaining your physical health and spiritual wellness, and move forward in life as the alcohol-free person you want to be. 

From detox to rehabilitation, our fully integrated continuum of care is here to help you begin and maintain your recovery journey from alcohol and drug abuse, with aftercare programs that will keep you connected to a sober community for a lifetime. Contact our team at (800) 426-1818 today; you are only a phone call away from finding out more about Muse Treatment Center and how we can help you.

Alcohol Abuse,Alcohol Addiction,
David Rofofsky
David Rofofsky
After growing up in New York, David chose to get help with substance abuse in California because of the state's reputation for top-tier treatment. There, he found the treatment he needed to achieve more than nine years of recovery. He's been in the drug and alcohol addiction rehab industry for eight years and now serves as the Director of Admissions for Resurgence Behavioral Health. David remains passionate about the field because he understands how hard it is to pick up the phone and ask for help. However, once the call is made, someone's life can be saved.


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