Alcohol abuse means having unhealthy or dangerous drinking habits, such as drinking every day or drinking too much at a time. Alcohol abuse can harm your relationships, cause you to miss work, and lead to legal problems such as driving while drunk (intoxicated). When you abuse alcohol, you continue to drink even though you know your drinking is causing problems.

If you continue to abuse alcohol, it can lead to alcohol dependence. Alcohol dependence is also called alcoholism. You are physically or mentally addicted to alcohol. You have a strong need, or craving, to drink. You feel like you must drink just to get by.

Long-term alcohol abuse poses great dangers to an alcoholic's physical, mental, emotional, social and spiritual health. alcoholism can cause irreversible damage to critical organs and body systems:

Liver Nervous system Heart Stomach (intestines) Brain Common medical side effects include: High blood pressure Sexual problems Cancer Stomach problems Osteoporosis, especially in women

• Alcohol is a substance that impairs judgement when consumed and can lead to drinking and driving, unintended sexual activity, violence or other dangerous behaviors.

• 75% of esophageal cancers are attributable to chronic excessive alcohol consumption.

• Nearly 50% of cancers of the mouth, pharynx and larynx are associated with heavy drinking

• Among emergency room patients admitted for injuries, 47% tested positive for alcohol and 35% were intoxicated; of those who were intoxicated, 75% showed signs of chronic alcoholism.

• As many as 36% of the cases of primary liver cancer are linked to heavy chronic drinking.

• There are more deaths and disabilities each year in the U.S. from substance abuse than from any other cause.

Preventable Cause of Death