subject: Ways On How To Assess Alcoholism [print this page] Just like drug addiction, alcohol consumption is also detrimental to the well-being and overall health of an individual. According to the National Library of Medicine, around 17.6 million adults have problems related to alcohol addiction. It is estimated that approximately 11 million are underage drinkers and as high as 7.2 million individuals are deemed as binge drinkers. However, it is difficult to lend a hand if you're not aware of the time he is consuming alcohol beverages. Aside from inquiring from alcohol abuse rehabilitation centers for tips, you can also do your share of research online.
How will you know if someone has been drinking alcohol? Do you know some tips to evaluate if a person is drinking alcohol? Below are useful methods of testing alcohol consumption.
You can use breathalyzer to assess alcohol intoxication. This instrument can be purchased in specialty medical stores or online retail shops. You can easily utilize it by simply blowing air into the meter. It can tell if an individual is intoxicated based on the blood alcohol content (BAC) on a person's breath sample.
One simple task in assessing alcohol intoxication is by sobriety test. This can be done by asking a person to perform easy tasks. If he or she can perform them successfully then he is not intoxicated, otherwise, he is under the influence of alcoholic beverages. However, this technique is not foolproof because some individuals can fail this test due to physical impairment, illness or drug abuse aside from alcohol.
You can also get some hair sample from the individual concerned and have it checked at an alcohol abuse rehab center or medical testing facility. Even though, this approach is expensive, it is effective in testing long-term alcohol consumption. However, this method has its corresponding limitation since it only works on hair which is at least one or half inch long.
You can also test for alcohol addiction through a person's blood sample, urine and saliva. Screening can be performed in hospitals or medical laboratories. Of the 3 samples, urine testing is least expensive than blood and saliva testing.
Other signs include hiding alcohol drinks inside his or her house, obtaining public drunkenness citations and blackouts.
Before bringing an alcoholic to a facility for alcohol addiction rehab, it's important to be aware of alcohol addiction symptoms and signs. Once you detect one, be sure to ask for the required help.