Entry bubble April is Alcohol Awareness Month

By: Jess | April 09, 2009 | Category: Health

Glass of beerFor many people having a drink or two is no problem. But for others who might have a predisposition to alcoholism, even one drink could cause a downward spiral that leads to many, many drinks.

As part of Alcohol Awareness Month, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration provides valuable tips on raising awareness about alcohol abuse.

Parents can find information on educating their children and being a good role model.

Teenagers can find answers to many of their questions.

And there are resources for finding treatment.

In an additional effort to raise awareness, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism offers a free, confidential survey to determine if you display any of the characteristics of abusive drinking behavior. The survey takes less than five minutes and at the end provides you with a list of resources on where to go for help or more information.

If you or a friend need immediate assistance with a substance abuse problem, you can call the National Drug and Alcohol Treatment Referral Routing Service's toll free number: 1-800-662-HELP (1-800-662-4357).

You can find more substance abuse resources in the FAQ's section of USA.gov.

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Entry bubble Poison Help: Just a Phone Call Away

By: Stephanie | March 16, 2009 | Category: Health

skull and crossbones, with the word Poison Did you know that unintentional poisoning causes more deaths than car accidents and house fires in the United States? And that the death rate from poisoning has been rising in this country in recent years?

This is National Poison Prevention Week—and an important part of poison prevention can be found in a toll free phone call to Poison Help, a free service of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that’s available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Poison Help—1-800-222-1222—automatically forwards you to a poison control center in your area, where you can talk with an expert in poison emergencies.

Call Poison Help, for example, if you took a medicine incorrectly, used a strong cleaning product without gloves, ate food that was left out too long, or were bitten by a spider.

Also call if you think your child swallowed a poison such as a cosmetic or personal care product, a cleaning substance, or a part of a plant.

Don’t wait for signs of poisoning, the experts warn—they’ll help with any possible poisoning, even if you aren’t sure it’s occurred. They say that often your problem can be solved on the phone. (If a victim isn’t breathing, call 911 first.) The poison expert also might call back to check on you.

If you need a doctor or ambulance, the poison expert will tell you right away, and he or she may also call your local hospital to give treatment information ahead of your arrival.

Poison Help recommends that you keep its number near your phone (call the number to receive free magnets), or enter the number into speed dial. It also offers tips at its website on preventing poisoning, and how to help in a poisoning emergency.

Have you ever had a poisoning emergency, or called Poison Help?

| Post a Comment | View Comments [4] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: call   emergency   expert   hotline   national_poison_prevention_week   phone   poison   poison_help   prevention   stephanie