Digital Press Kit: New CDC Vital Signs: Alcohol Screening and Counseling

Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page. New CDC Vital Signs: Alcohol Screening and Counseling An effective but underused health service Only one in six adults -- and only one in four binge drinkers -- say a health professional has ever discussed alcohol use with them even though drinking too much is harmful to health, according to a new Vital Signs report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Even among adults who binge drink 10 or more times a month, only one in three have ever had a health professional talk with them about alcohol use. Binge drinking is defined as consuming four or more drinks for women and five or more drinks for men within 2-3 hours. Talking with a patient about their alcohol use is an important first step in screening and counseling, which has been proven effective in helping people who drink too much to drink less. At least 38 million adults in the United States drink too much. Most are not alcoholics. Drinking too much includes binge drinking, high weekly use, and any alcohol use by pregnant women or those under age 21. It causes about 88,000 deaths in the United States each year, and was responsible for about $224 billion in economic costs in 2006. It can also lead to many health and social problems, including heart disease, breast cancer, sexually transmitted diseases, fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, motor-vehicle crashes, and violence. View DPK>>     Modify/Update Subscriber Preferences  |  Unsubscribe  |  Send Feedback  |  Learn more about CDC Email Updates To receive the latest news for your region, please update your profile with your country, state and zip code. Questions or problems? Please contact subscriberhelp.govdelivery.com.     STAY CONNECTED:    CDC on Facebook  Dr. Frieden on Twitter  CDC on YouTube This email was sent to filter@clubhouseb.com using GovDelivery, on behalf of: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) · 1600 Clifton Rd · Atlanta, GA 30333 · 1-800-CDC-INFO (800-232-4636)