August is time to consider participating in No Alcohol August.
No Alcohol August (or NAA) is a month-long alcohol-free challenge. A cleanse that provides physical and mental-health benefits, not to mention the money that is saved not spending it on alcohol. It can also help some people learn if they have a drinking problem or not.
Alcohol abuse is a leading global cause of preventable death and disease. Alcohol is ranked #3 in worst healthy substance after smoking and bad diet. This burdens our already overloaded health care systems. By just taking one month off a year, it can help people obtain health and well being goals that otherwise seemed unattainable.
While drinking alcohol can be a fun and social activity, for too many it’s a cause of health problems and depression. NAA is an event that is aimed at helping people and our communities get healthier.
From the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism: https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/:
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An estimated 88,000 people (approximately 62,000 men and 26,000 women) die from alcohol-related causes annually, making alcohol the third leading preventable cause of death in the United States. The first is tobacco, and the second is poor diet and physical inactivity.
In 2009, alcohol-related liver disease was the primary cause of almost 1 in 3 liver transplants in the United States.
More than 10 percent of U.S. children live with a parent with alcohol
In 2012, 3.3 million deaths were attributable to alcohol consumption.
In 2010, alcohol misuse cost the United States $249.0 billion.
In 2014, alcohol-impaired driving fatalities accounted for 9,967 deaths (31 percent of overall driving fatalities).
- Simple! Just don’t drink any alcohol for the 31 days of August
- Sounds easy, but for many this challenge is far too difficult.
- Post progress and results on Social Media and spread the hashtags #NAA and #NoAlcoholdAugust. Examples:
- How much weight you have lost!
- How your mental health has changed.
- How much money you have saved!
- For any who struggle, please seek help from addiction counselors and speak with your doctor.
