What Not To Do...

•	Don't attempt to punish, threaten, bribe, or preach.
•	Don't try to be a martyr. Avoid emotional appeals that may only increase feelings of guilt and the compulsion to drink or use other drugs.
•	Don't take over their responsibilities, leaving them with no sense of importance or dignity.
•	Don't hide or dump bottles, throw out drugs, or shelter them from situations where alcohol is present.
•	Don't argue with the person when they are impaired or high.
•	Don't try to drink along with the problem drinker or take drugs with the drug abuser.
•	Above all, don't feel guilty or responsible for another's behavior.

Alcohol: What You Don't Know Can Harm You

If you are like many Americans, you may drink alcohol occasionally. Or, like others, you may drink moderate amounts of alcohol on a more regular basis. If you are a woman or someone over the age of 65, this means that you have no more than one drink per day; if you are a man, this means that you have no more than two drinks per day. Drinking at these levels usually is not associated with health risks and can help to prevent certain forms of heart disease.

But did you know that even moderate drinking, under certain circumstances, is not risk free? And that if you drink at more than moderate levels, you may be putting yourself at risk for serious problems with your health and problems with family, friends, and coworkers? This document explains some of the consequences of drinking that you may not have considered.

Is drinking alcohol harming my health now, or will it be harmful to me later in life? Should I stop drinking alcohol? Am I a binge drinker? Most adults who drink alcoholic beverages (beer, wine, or liquor) consume safe and healthy amounts. For others, unsafe drinking patterns increase their risk for injury, illness or future alcohol problems. And, for 1 in 13 American adults, alcohol abuse or alcohol dependence (alcoholism) causes substantial harm to their health and disruption in their lives.

May 3, 2009:  David Hasselhoff was taken to Los Angeles' Cedars-Sinai Medical Center by his ex-wife after suffering from alcohol poisoning, celebrity Web site RadarOnline.com reports.

His daughter Hayley, 16, found him unconscious Saturday on the floor of his home in Encino, Calif., and called her mother, Pamela Bach, from whom Hasselhoff was bitterly divorced in 2006. Bach, who lives just 10 minutes away in Hollywood Hills, rushed over to drive him to the hospital where doctors saved his life.

A new Web site and booklet from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) could help many people reduce their risk for alcohol problems.  Called Rethinking Drinking, the new materials present evidence-based information about risky drinking patterns, the alcohol content of drinks, and the signs of an alcohol problem, along with information about medications and other resources to help people who choose to cut back or quit drinking.  The Web site -- RethinkingDrinking.niaaa.nih.gov -- also features interactive tools, such as calculators for measuring alcohol calories and drink sizes. NIAAA is part of the National Institutes of Health.

“About 3 in 10 U.S. adults drink at levels that elevate their risk for alcoholism, liver disease, and a diverse array of other physical, mental health, and social problems.  Yet, many people give little thought to their drinking habits and the attendant risks,” notes NIH Acting Director Raynard S. Kington, M.D.  “These new materials remind all of us to think about how alcohol may be affecting our health.”