Alcohol Dependence
An excerpt from our Men’s Health Report:
The fifth greatest contributor to the gender gap is Liver Disease – most of the liver disease accounting for years of life lost for men versus women is caused by Alcohol Dependence.
Alcohol overuse. U.S. surveys have shown that the prevalence of alcohol use disorders is much higher in men than women: men are two or three times more likely to have a serious alcohol problem. Alcohol use is responsible for a high proportion of the global burden of health problems. It is a risk factor for a number of serious disorders and sources of mortality, including cancer, diabetes mellitus, heart disease and liver disease, and it is a major factor contributing to rates of mortality from motor vehicle accidents and suicide. As one might expect from their relatively high rate of use, men suffer disproportionately from the health impacts of alcohol: data from 2004 show the rate of global deaths attributable to alcohol use as almost six times higher for men (6.3%) than for women (1.1%).
Alcohol Dependence (AD) is associated with serious health consequences and increased mortality risk. AD may be defined as use of alcohol “despite significant areas of dysfunction, evidence of physical dependence, and/or related hardship.”
AD reaches its greatest level of incidence around age 18, then gradually declines. AD is dramatically higher for men than women in late adolescence/early adulthood – the gender gap declines with age. Given the strikingly high rates of alcohol abuse/dependence among young men, there is clearly an excellent opportunity for programs to prevent the onset of this health condition by intervening in high school or before. Indeed, it has been demonstrated that a substantial reduction of alcohol abuse/dependence can be achieved in a cost-effective way through school-based programs. It is likely that boys and young men would show particular benefit from preventive intervention – and intervening at this stage offers the best chance for ameliorating the gender gap in this health problem.
For more information on alcohol addiction please see:
Alcoholism - MedlinePlus
Alcoholism - Mayo Clinic
For alcohol & drug rehab programs in British Columbia (and Canada) please see:
Directory of British Columbia Alcohol and Drug Rehab Programs
Another useful resource is the following booklet from the Sunshine Coast Health Center:
The Family Intervention: Getting Help for a Loved One Who Won't Stop Using Drugs or Alcohol
