Happy hour drinks after work, A glass of wine with dinner, or a beer while watching the hockey game. Alcohol is such a part of Canadian life that we rarely stop to examine our drinking behavior. People drink for a variety of reasons:

• As a coping mechanism to relieve daily tensions or worries such as loneliness, marital problems, job stress or illness.
• As a substitute for satisfying personal relationships, challenging work or self fulfillment.
• To compensate for feelings of guilt, shyness or low self-esteem.
• For social or career reasons - many people believe that cocktail parties and business meals with drinks are a necessity.

Social drinking turns to alcoholism when it becomes a primary coping mechanism for dealing with life. The alcoholic relies on the effects of drinking to get through day to day living. Eventually he or she becomes physically and psychologically addicted to alcohol and is unable to function without it. 
Alcohol is the most widely used and most frequently fatal drug used in Canada today. Alcohol is a factor in:

• 40% of all suicide attempts
• 40% of all industrial accidents
• 50% of all traffic accidents
• 54% of all violent crime
• 60% of all emergency room admissions
• 80% of spousal assaults

There are many theories regarding the causes of alcoholism but most experts agree that:
Treating alcoholism is not the problem - identifying alcoholics and getting them to accept treatment is.
Alcoholism is our most untreated, treatable disease: 95% of all alcoholics never receive treatment.
Alcoholism is a family disease - Living with an alcoholic creates a family atmosphere of confusion, despair and instability. Family members are typically in as much need of assistance as the alcoholic member. People with an alcoholic parent are 4-5  times  more likely to become alcoholic themselves.
Alcoholics Anonymous works. People who attend AA meetings are far more likely to maintain sobriety than people who attempt to "go it alone". Al-Anon, Alateen, & Adult Children of Alcoholics also provide much-needed support for the family members who live with an alcoholic or suffer the effects of someone elses' drinking.

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