Alcohol Awareness Month began as far back as 1987. It is sponsored by the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc. (NCADD). And so, every April of every year since then, this organization has sought to raise the awareness of the plight that alcoholism represents for our society at large.

Some people in the world of science and medicine have gone so far as suggesting that alcohol could be placed all alone in a category of itself. The niggling and far-reaching effects of alcohol abuse have had negative consequences that far outdo any other drug, they say. It should, therefore, be located above and given special attention over other Class A drugs.

ALCOHOLISM AND ALCOHOL USE DISORDER

Defining a few useful terms is going to be the first point of order.

Alcoholism is a disease linked to the excessive use of alcohol, for any reason, impinging on someone’s day to day capabilities, namely their physical and mental health.

Now, Alcohol Use Disorder or AUD is the medical term for a disorder that produces physical and psychological dependence on alcohol intake that defines individuals whose problem drinking has become severe.