Alcoholism Sourcebook (Health Reference)

Basic information about alcoholism, its effects and treatment

Excessive alcohol use causes approximately 88,000 deaths each year, making it the third leading lifestyle-related cause of death in the United States. Alcohol affects every organ in the drinker s body. While moderate alcohol use can have some health benefits for adults, heavy alcohol use and binge drinking can harm the body, disrupt relationships, and lead to risky behaviors, injury, illness, or death. Furthermore, any alcohol use can cause permanent harm to underage drinkers and to the unborn children of pregnant women.

The Alcoholism Sourcebook, Fourth Edition provides readers with updated information about alcohol use, abuse, and dependence. Physical alcohol-related effects on the brain, heart, liver, pancreas, bones, nerves, lungs, stomach, kidneys, and immune system are described, and mental health issues that often accompany alcohol problems are discussed. A section on the problem of underage drinking looks at the causes and consequences of drinking among adolescents, and another section discusses the effects of alcohol use on reproductive and fetal health. Facts about alcohol s impact on families, workplaces, and communities are included, and guidance is provided for helping someone with an alcohol problem receive appropriate treatment and recovery services. The book concludes with a glossary of terms related to alcohol use and abuse and directories of resources for support and additional information.

For over 25 years, librarians have trusted the Health Reference Series to answer their patrons health questions as they navigate the increasingly noisy, and often unreliable, landscape of medical information.

The Health Reference Series provides basic medical information for patients, families, caregivers, and the general public. Each volume takes a particular topic and provides comprehensive coverage. This is especially important for people who may be dealing with a newly diagnosed disease or a chronic disorder in themselves or in a family member. People looking for preventive guidance, information about disease warning signs, medical statistics, and risk factors for health problems will also find answers to their questions in this series.

The Omnigraphics mission has been to provide authoritative and engaging reference resources to libraries and schools. Spanning the areas of biography, history, health, culture, and ready reference, the Omnigraphics products have been consistently recognized for demonstrating the same uncompromising quality throughout the years.