As it turns out, there are a LOT of ways you could end that sentence. One in five Americans bets on the NCAA tournament (March Madness, if you don’t follow sports that much), one in five Americans experiences a mental illness of some kind in a year, and one in five Americans lives in a state that’s committed to 100% clean power.
But the ending we’re looking for in this case is “is harmed by another person’s drinking in a year” (see the full story here; this finding is based on a survey of 9 thousand people in 2015).
The types of harm people experienced at the hands of heavy drinkers included:
Physical violence
Emotional abuse
Destruction of property
Accidents (e.g., drunk driving)
It’s a good reminder that when someone is drinking too much, it’s not just affecting them. It’s affecting their families, their friends, their romantic partners, their co-workers and even the people driving on the roads alongside them.
If you’ve decided to cut back or quit drinking, we’d love to be a part of your journey to a happier, healthier you. Try out the Drinker’s Helper app free for a week on the Apple App Store! We offer a personalized program of motivational exercises, a virtual support group of peers, and a way to track your drinks and urges to drink as they both (hopefully!) decrease over time.
