CHEMICAL DEPENDENCY FACTS AND FIGURES The divorce rate for a family experiencing chemical dependency is 7X higher than the national average. Alcohol is involved in 50-70% of the cases family violence. Alcohol accounts for 86% of all homicides. Alcohol accounts for 40% of all traffic deaths.

Facts cont’d Children of substance abusers are 4X more likely to become chemically dependent themselves; 8X if both parents are chemically dependent. Substance abusers are absent from the job up to 16 times more often. 3X as many sickness benefits are claimed by employees abusing drugs and alcohol. 5X as many workers compensation claims are filed by substance abusers. 70% of illicit-drug users work full time.

Facts cont’d 100,000 babies are born annually with FAS and FAE, the 3rd leading cause of birth defects. 20% of the babies delivered at Parkland Hospital were exposed to drugs during pregnancy. 35-50% of all hospital admissions are for treatment of conditions caused or exacerbated by alcohol and other drugs. A vast majority go undetected. 80% of the 700,000 head injuries each year are alcohol and other drug related, causing 112,000 deaths and more than 70,000 disabilities.

Facts cont’d Alcohol/Drug Problems are the 2nd most common mental disorder; 6-7% of all adults. Alcohol dependence is the 3rd leading cause of death in USA behind Cancer and Heart Disease. The leading cause of death in those aged 15-24 is drinking and driving. 54 to 82% of the men arrested for serious offenses in major cities tested positive for illegal drugs.

Facts cont’d Alcoholism is #2 for most disability-adjusted-years loss; depression and alcoholism and depression as comorbid occurrences are greater than the next 5 reasons. Alcohol accounts for 50% of all ER visits. Alcohol accounts for 70% of child abuse cases. Alcohol accounts for 52% of rapes.

Use > Abuse > Dependence > Death DEPENDENCY CONTINUUM Use > Abuse > Dependence > Death Abstain- Social User – Abuser – Physical Dependence – Physical/Psychological Dependence

Physical/Psychological Dependency Hardest to deal with. Very difficult to go back to social use once in this stage. Use is a choice – but when it starts, the user does not know what the road ahead will look like. That bio-psycho-social issue is real unknown.

Case in Point: Audrey Kishline, founder of Moderation Management (MM), a self-help group for problem drinkers to control their drinking, was in a car accident in which a 12-year-old girl and her father were killed on March 25th, 2000. Audrey was highly intoxicated (BAL 0.26) and driving on the wrong side of an interstate highway. After forming MM in 1993 and writing Moderate Drinking in 1994, Audrey announced in January of 2000 that she was returning to AA with a goal of abstinence. The accident occurred in March of this year. In June, facing a trial for the accident, Kishline's lawyer, John Crowley, announced, "The accident and the subsequent intensive alcohol treatment she has undergone have made Kishline realize that moderation management is nothing but alcoholics covering up their problem."