Nationwide week of action against alcohol abuse

Experts are worried: Germans drink too much alcohol
Almost ten million people in Germany have alcohol problems. About 1.3 million of them are considered alcohol dependent. With a nationwide action week, experts want to point out the health risks of alcohol abuse. But also on the dangers that can arise for others.

Regular alcohol consumption endangers your health
According to estimates by the German Federal Center for Health Education (BzgA), around 9.5 million people between the ages of 18 and 65 in Germany have alcohol problems, so they drink alcohol in amounts that are harmful to their health. About 1.3 million of them are considered alcohol dependent. It has long been recognized that regular drinking increases the risk of many diseases. Among other things, it can lead to or promote liver damage such as fatty liver, lipid metabolism disorders, osteoporosis, damage to the brain or cardiac muscle and cancers such as colon cancer, liver cancer or esophageal cancer. Experts want to draw attention to the dangers of alcohol consumption with a nationwide action week.

Action week is to draw attention to the problems of alcohol addiction. (Image: iko / fotolia.com)

"Rethinking consumption of alcohol"
The prevention campaign under the slogan: "Alcohol? Less is better! "Will take place from 13 to 21 June. Thousands of members of self-help groups, consultants, specialist clinics and drug prevention specialists, doctors, pharmacists and people active in associations and churches, are making numerous publicity campaigns. Since 2007, the Action Week is organized every two years by the German Center for Addiction Issues. As the news agency dpa reported, a spokesman said: "It's not just about children and adolescents and not just about addiction, but it's all about rethinking their consumption of alcohol." However, experts from the German Center for Addiction Issues (DHS ) recently pointed out that many sufferers are unaware that they are drinking too much. Therefore, relatives and friends are encouraged to address the alcohol problems of others and offer them help

More family-oriented consulting concepts required
At the beginning of the action week dpa also reports on numbers from different federal states. According to estimates of the state office for addiction issues in Baden-Württemberg, at least 40,000 children have at least one alcoholic father or one alcoholic mother. They demand more family-oriented counseling concepts for people with alcohol problems as well as more money from the country for the addiction counseling centers. "Children from alcoholic families need all kinds of support," says Chairman Hans Joachim Abstein. "This is the best way to break the cycle of addictions." In 2013, a total of 42,803 people in Baden-Württemberg were treated in Baden-Württemberg for the consequences of drinking alcohol in the hospital, according to the State Statistical Office. Ten years earlier, it had been 35,133. "There are no isolated cases, no runaways," said Harald Müller, Country Manager of Barmer Ersatzkasse, which is also committed to the Action Week alcohol.

Children of addicted parents often become addicted themselves
"We must not leave children from addicted families alone," said Minister Katrin Altpeter (SPD). "They are particularly at risk of becoming addicted to illness later on." According to the state office, the risk of becoming addicted to addicted parents is seven times higher than that of children of the same age without addiction problems. The state office criticized the fact that the counseling and treatment concepts were too focused on the "problem drinker". Dörte Peter from the state office in Thuringia explained that the aim of the current campaign is not only to look at the effects on one's own health, but also the dangers for others. For example, the police in Thuringia alone registered 770 accidents last year, during which the driver had drunk before he took to the wheel. 349 of these accidents ended with injuries. (Ad)