The 2017 theme for Alcohol Awareness month is, “Connecting the Dots:  Opportunities for Recovery” according to the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD).  Their website explains, “Alcohol and drug use by young people is extremely dangerous–both to themselves and to society–and is directly associated with traffic fatalities, violence, suicide, educational failure, alcohol overdose, unsafe sex and other problem behaviors, even for those who may never develop a dependence or addiction. Adolescence is a time of heightened risk-taking and as alcohol and drugs enter the picture, parents are faced with a unique set of challenges. They can simply sit back and hope their kids will “get through it,” or they can take an active role in learning about alcohol and drugs and helping their kids do the same.

An integral part of Alcohol Awareness Month is Alcohol-Free Weekend (March 31-April 2, 2017), which is designed to raise public awareness about the use of alcohol and how it may be affecting individuals, families, and the community. During this seventy-two-hour period, NCADD extends an open invitation to all Americans, young and old, to participate in three alcohol-free days and to use this time to contact local NCADD Affiliates and other alcoholism agencies to learn more about alcoholism and its early symptoms.”

Lake-Geauga Recovery Centers encourages people to take a simple questionnaire created by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism designed to help people examine their own alcohol usage. Additional information can be found on the NIH website.