ALCOHOL

Some Facts

• Alcohol is a drug.  It is a central nervous system depressant and not a stimulant as commonly believed.

• Moderate drinking may cause a person to experience flushing, dizziness, dulling of senses and impairment of coordination, reflexes, memory and judgment.

• Too much drinking can lead to malnutrition. Lowered resistance to infections and the increased risk of cancers of the mouth, throat and liver.  Other dangers to the body include the possibility of irreversible damage to the brain and central nervous system, and severe damage to the heart, lungs, pancreas and liver.

• Despite the dangers of driving after drinking, 12% of the adults in the United States said that they drover their cars at least once in the past year knowing full well that they had had too much to drink

• Alcohol is a contributing factor in 47% of all industrial accidents.

• Alcohol is a contributing factor in 40% of all fatal industrial accidents.

• A recent survey showed that 9% of heavy drinkers had missed work because of a hangover in the past year, 6% had gone to work drunk in the past year, and 11% had skipped work in the past month.

• Studies show that alcohol users:
  • Are far less productive.
  • Use three times as many sick days.
  • Are more likely to injure themselves or someone else.
  • Are five times more likely to file worker’s compensation claims.