Alcohol Awareness Month will have family focus

The 31st annual Alcohol Awareness Month, sponsored in April by the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc. (NCADD), will focus on assisting parents in communicating to their children the potentially dangerous impact of alcohol on their lives.

This year's theme is “Connecting the Dots: Opportunities for Recovery,” and will feature a number of NCADD affiliate events designed to encourage families to seek help for alcohol problems.

A signature component of Alcohol Awareness Month is the 72-hour Alcohol-Free Weekend, which this year will take place March 31-April 2 and which encourages all Americans to participate in alcohol-free days and leran more about the signs of alcoholism.

A news release from NCADD states, “It can be daunting to talk with children about drinking and drug use, but it is well worth the effort parents put into it. In fact, research has shown that kids who have conversations with their parents and learn a lot about the dangers of alcohol and drug use are 50% less likely to use these substances than those who don't have such conversations.”

More information about NCADD and Alcohol Awareness Month can be found on the council's website.