ALCOHOL ABUSE INFO OFFERED PROGRAM TO HELP CATCH PROBLEMS.

Byline: Daily News

SANTA CLARITA - Free and confidential screenings for alcohol-related problems will be offered Thursday in Valencia by local health care professionals as part of a national educational program on the dangers of excessive drinking.

National Alcohol Screening Day is a national one-day outreach, education and screening event designed to educate the public about alcohol, and allow individuals to seek help in a nonthreatening, easily accessible manner.

The screenings and educational program will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. in the pavilion at Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital, 25727 McBean Parkway in Valencia.

The event takes place every April as part of National Alcoholism Awareness Month to raise public awareness about the consequences of drinking, and the effects of alcohol on health, including medical conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and certain types of cancer.

The Action drug and alcohol treatment programs, in conjunction with the Santa Clarita office of the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, are offering the program locally.

Participants will hear an educational presentation on alcohol problems, complete a written self-test and have the opportunity to talk privately with health professionals. An educational video, pamphlets, brochures and fliers will be available, as well as referrals to local treatment and support centers for those who need further evaluation.

``For most adults, moderate alcohol use, up to two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women and older people, causes few if any problems,'' said John Lewis, a local prevention and recovery specialist and director of the national council's Santa Clarita office.

But the problem increases when there's a family history of alcohol abuse, drinkers are taking certain over-the-counter or prescription medications, are pregnant or trying to become pregnant, or have medical conditions that can be made worse by drinking, he said.

``There are over 14 million people in the United States who have an alcohol disorder,'' said Cary Quashen, an addiction specialist and founder of the Action Family Counseling Centers, which runs outpatient alcohol and drug abuse programs.

``Heavy drinking raises the risk for car crashes, unintentional injuries, violence and suicides, among other things,'' Quashen said.

Alcohol and drugs are involved in 65 percent of all drownings, 64 percent of rapes, 60 percent of child-abuse cases, 50 percent of murders, 50 percent of assaults, 50 percent of domestic-violence cases, 40 percent of fatal auto crashes and 20 percent of suicides, he said.

For information about Thursday's program, call Lewis at [phone] or Quashen at [phone].

EVALUATE YOUR DRINKING

--1. Do you feel you are a normal drinker? (``normal'' - you drink as much or less than most other people). YES or NO

--2. Have you ever awakened the morning after some drinking the night before and found that you could not remember a part of the evening? YES or NO

--3. Does any near relative or close friend ever worry or complain about your drinking? YES or NO

--4. Can you stop drinking without difficulty after one or two drinks? YES or NO

--5. Do you ever feel guilty about your drinking? YES or NO

--6. Have you ever attended a meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous? YES or NO

--7. Have you ever gotten into physical fights when drinking? YES or NO

--8. Has drinking ever created problems between you and a near relative or close friend? YES or NO

--9. Has any family member or close friend gone to anyone for help about your drinking? YES or NO

--10. Have you ever lost friends because of your drinking? YES or NO

--11. Have you ever gotten into trouble at work because of drinking? YES or NO

--12. Have you ever lost a job because of drinking? YES or NO

--13. Have you ever neglected family or work for two or more days in a row because you were drinking? YES or NO

--14. Do you drink before noon fairly often? YES or NO

--15. Have you ever been told you have liver trouble such as cirrhosis? YES or NO

--16. After heavy drinking have you ever had severe shaking or hallucinations? YES or NO

--17. Have you ever gone to anyone for help about your drinking? YES or NO

--18. Have you ever been hospitalized because of drinking? YES or NO

--19. Has your drinking ever resulted in your being hospitalized in a psychiatric ward? YES or NO

--20. Have you ever sought professional or spiritual help with any emotional problem in which drinking was part of the problem? YES or NO

--21. Have you been arrested more than once for driving under the influence of alcohol? YES or NO

--22. Have you ever been arrested, even for a few hours because of other behavior while drinking? YES or NO

YOUR SCORE

Score one point if you answered the following: 1. No; 2. Yes; 3. Yes; 4. No; 5. Yes; 6. Yes; 7 through 22: Yes.

Add up the scores: 0-2, no apparent problem; 3-5, early or middle problem drinker; 6 or more, problem drinker.

Source: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism 

CAPTION(S):

box

Box:

EVALUATE YOUR DRINKING (see text)