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The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has deemed April National Alcohol Awareness Month—but what does that mean exactly? Surely, we as a nation comprised of an estimated 120 million alcoholics are quite aware of alcohol.

The designation of an “Alcohol Awareness Month” provides people with a safe opportunity to talk about their problems with people they may have never opened up to before. When employers organize alcohol awareness activities, the topic of alcoholism tends to surface in the lunchroom. When Universities make information readily available in dorms or in the cafeteria, it opens the door to discussions among peers.

To reach the community as a whole, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has developed “National Alcohol Screening Day” that will take place on April 5th. On this day, those who feel they may have an alcohol problem can receive a free alcohol screening at one of more than 5,000 locations across the US.

What is an alcohol screening? According to the Screening for Mental Health Inc,

“National Alcohol Screening Day (NASD) provides individuals with the opportunity to assess the affect of alcohol on their health, as well as its role in their lives.”

Statistics provided by the organization, show that nearly one-third of adults engage in at-risk drinking behavior without even realizing it. Those who miss the on-site screening tests can take a confidential online screening test by visiting the National Alcohol Screening Day website at http://www.mentalhealthscreening.org.

But what about all of those people who are well aware of the fact that they have an alcohol problem and don’t need a screening test to tell them so. You or someone in your life may have a drinking problem that is far beyond anything that a simple assessment could provide or that a National Alcohol Awareness Month program in the workplace could offer.

For those affected by alcoholism, this month is a call to stop and reflect on your choice to continue to accept this behavior from yourself or a family member. Alcohol tends to weave its way into our daily fabric of our lives and its effects slowly become something we learn to live with.

This month, take a look at your life and at the lives of friends and family members you know or suspect may have a drinking problem. Is it time to make a change? Sometimes, just talking candidly to someone you care about can have a tremendously positive impact.

Just about everyone knows someone who isn’t experiencing the good things in life that they deserve because of an alcohol dependency. Maybe it’s you. Maybe it’s your spouse or your child. Perhaps it’s a coworker that could use a friendly ear. This month, make an effort to reach out to the people in your life who are addicted or becoming addicted to alcohol. Your well-meaning efforts may have more of an impact than you could possibly imagine.

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