National Alcohol Screening Day is Today

Today, Thursday, April 7, is National Alcohol Screening Day. Close to 1,000 community-based organizations, colleges and military installations worldwide will be offering anonymous self-assessments for alcohol use disorders at in-person events, online or over the phone.

In observance of Alcohol Awareness Month, the campaign, How Do You Score? allows members of the public to take an online screening for alcohol use disorders and also provides local resources for those who need further evaluation.

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration’s 2009 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, about 10.4 million young people aged 12 to 20 reported drinking alcohol in the past month. More than half engage in high-risk binge and heavy drinking behaviors.

On this day, SAMHSA encourages individuals who use alcohol to consider their personal drinking patterns to determine if they have an alcohol use problem. The NSDUH estimates that, in 2009, 19.3 million individuals aged 12 or older needed treatment for an alcohol use problem.