There are approximately 10 million alcoholics in the United States. On top of this staggering figure you can also add 20 million alcohol abusers. Most of these alcohol abusers are teens & college students. Figures show that 2 out of 3 adults use alcohol. It has been determined that over half of all suicides, accidental deaths & homicides are related to alcohol.

More than 10,000 young people were killed & 40,000 more are injured annually in accidents that involve drinking & driving.

As you can see the cost of using alcohol is high & these are just the human costs. Let’s also add the cost of productivity & health expenses that occur because of alcohol addiction & abuse.

Financially these costs are estimated at more than 100 billion dollars per year. The financial costs are also high for those 1 out of 10 people who do seek help for their alcohol problem.

Besides the above costs there are many others that are associated with alcohol abuse & addition.

There are alcohol related automobile tickets and/or accidents. Blackouts can be a serious consequence of drinking. Depression often becomes a problem & relationships are damaged or completely ruined.

People often start drinking at parties or socially from time to time & then may progress to serious & problematic drinking.

There are people who are more at risk when it comes to alcoholism than others. Families who have members who are prone to having problems with alcohol should be especially careful when it comes to drinking.

While it may take years for alcohol to become a problem for some it may only take a fraction of that time for others.

Some signs that alcohol is becoming dangerous are: drinking excessively & often, making excuses for drinking too much, the loss of control & missing days of work because of alcohol.

People may have start drinking earlier & earlier in the day & they may also spend a lot of time drinking alone. The concerns of family members & friends go ignored & the preoccupation with drinking becomes more important than anything else. The person may be drinking & driving often.

When a person drinks too often & too much the alcohol depresses the functioning of the brain.

Some of the first things to become effected are emotions, judgment, & thought processes. When the drinking continues motor control takes a dive & the person experiences slurred speech, poor balance & slower reactions.

The costs of alcohol abuse & addiction are high & many suffer.

If you know someone who has a problem with alcohol abuse or addiction do everything you can to convince the person to get the assistance needed. Do not make excuses for the person or try to change the drinking problem.

Do give the person information about recovery & support groups. Find help & support for yourself if you are close to the person.

There are many problems associated with alcohol abuse & addiction. Add up the costs & see if it is worth it.

About the author: Discover how to stop drinking alcohol permanently, within 21 days guaranteed For more information go to: http://www.stopdrinkingadvice.org/2007/03/08/problems-associated-with-alcohol-abuse-and-addiction/