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Founded in 1944 by Marty
Mann, the first woman to find long-term sobriety in Alcoholics
Anonymous, the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence,
Inc. (NCADD) provides education, information, help and hope to the
public. It advocates prevention, intervention and treatment through
offices in New York and Washington, and a nationwide network of
Affiliates.
Sponsoring
Alcohol Awareness Month
Alcohol Awareness
Month, sponsored by the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug
Dependence since 1987, encourages local communities to focus on
alcoholism and alcohol-related issues. Alcohol Awareness Month began
as a way of reaching the American public with information about the
disease of alcoholism – that it is a treatable disease, not a moral
weakness, and that alcoholics are capable of recovery. As a national
public awareness campaign, Alcohol Awareness Month has featured
honorary chairpersons such as Senator George McGovern, Dr. David
Satcher, the former Surgeon General, Barry McCaffrey, the Director
of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, and New York Yankees
baseball star Derek Jeter. A primary focus of Alcohol Awareness
Month over the years has been Underage Drinking and the devastating
effects it can have on our youth.
An integral part of Alcohol Awareness Month has been Alcohol-Free
Weekend, which takes place on the first weekend of April.
Alcohol-Free Weekend is designed to raise public awareness about the
use of alcohol and how it may be affecting individuals, families,
and businesses. During Alcohol-Free Weekend, NCADD extends an open
invitation to all Americans to engage in three alcohol-free days.
Those who experience difficulty or discomfort in this 72-hour
experiment are urged to contact local NCADD affiliates, AA, and
Al-Anon to learn more about alcoholism and its early symptoms.
Essentially, it is a community consciousness-raising effort about
alcoholism and health related issues and may serve as a trigger to
recovery.
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