Use of alcohol and drugs

As we all know, chemical dependency, whatever it is – alcohol, pharmacs and other drugs like heroin, cocaine, ecstasy, etc., it's a public's health problem around the world, with serious social, politics, economics and cultural implications.

There is 18 millions of alcoholics and 6 millions of toxic-dependents in USA (Special Report to the U.S. Congress n Alcohol and Health, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism – NIAAA, 1990.)

Alcoholics hope life it's about 25 years (Substance Abuse: The Nation's Number One Health Problem, Institute of Health Policy, Brandeis University, for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 1993.).

Alcohol it's responsible for 100.000 deaths each year, becoming the third biggest cause of premature mortality. (Journal of the American Medical Association, November, 1993.)

It's calculated that alcohol is responsible for 50% of homicides and 30% of suicides. (Secretary of Health and Human Services, Eighth Special Report to the U.S. Congress on Alcohol and Health, 1993.)

Portugal suffers from the same problems. To prove it we have about 1 000 000 of alcoholics and 250 000 toxic-dependents, scary numbers with inclination to increase. So it's necessary to take measures that fight this scourge in the base of individual's destruction, family and society.

Recovery: (statistics from Hazelden Foundation, 1997)

• In generality, the reports about individuals in recovery show better life quality after 12 months from the recuperation.
• More than 70% of the individuals in recovery get a better relationship with husband/ wife;
• 80% get a better relationship with family and capacity to deal with problems;
• More than 80% show better mental health.

There is a connection between going to AA and abstention. From those that are going to these groups, 63% keep the abstention.