ALCOHOL ABUSE IN ALCOHOLISM

Alcoholism is a major and severe problem in the United States and Canada as well as in many countries around the globe. It not only negatively affects the lives of the alcoholics themselves but also has an extended and even lifelong effect on the lives of their family members. Alcoholism affects individuals in the workplace, where the alcoholic 's work performance is usually impaired, and in the general economy, where the overall work productivity is shortchanged when all alcoholics are considered. Yet according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), some studies of primary care practices have shown that alcoholics receive an assessment by a medical professional and a referral to treatment only about 10 percent of the time.According to a study released by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration in 2004, in considering the state averages of the percentages of people with alcohol dependence, the nationwide average statewide percentage for individuals ages