WHITTIER STREET HEALTH CENTER Comprehensive. Compassionate. Community APRIL IS ALCOHOL AWARENESS MONTH Alcoholism is a chronic disease. It's not a weakness. Drinking too much alcohol increases people's risk of injuries, violence, liver disease, and some types of cancer. April is Alcohol Awareness month and Whittier Street Health Center encourages you to educate yourself and your loved ones about the dangers of drinking too much The use and abuse of alcohol is a serious issue that should not be ignored or minimized. If left untreated, use and abuse can develop into alcoholism. If you are drinking too much, you can improve your health by cutting back or quitting. Here are some strategies to help you cut back or stop drinking Limit your drinking to no more than 1drink a day for women or 2 drinks a day for men. Keep track of how much you drink Choose a day each week when you will not drink Don't drink when you are upset. Limit the amount of alcohol you keep at home. Avoid places where people drink a lot. Make a list of reasons not to drink. If you are concerned about your drinking, a health professional or a behavioral health specialist can conduct a formal assessment of your symptoms to see if an alcohol use disorder is present. Alcoholism is a chronic disease. It's not a weakness. Whittier's Behavioral Health Department offers accessible, weekly support for anyone seeking help with active or recent substance abuse/ 10-11, provides peer group support, treatment, motivation, psycho- education and orientation to substance abuse and mental health counseling as well as referral to psycho-pharmacology as indicated or to detox if needed. No referral is needed to attend the group Whittier Street Health Center 1290 Tremont St. Roxbury, MA 02120 T: 617-427-1000 Whittier @Quincy Commons 282 Blue ill Ave. Roxbury, MA 02120 T: 617-585-2550