Basic methods of preventing alcoholism - expert opinion

A progressive disease, alcoholism is a serious social problem that undermines the functioning of modern society and poses a threat of large-scale demographic consequences for the entire country.

According to experts, alcoholism in Russia has become a national disaster. Addiction affects not only mature people with extensive experience in drinking alcohol, but also young people who have become addicted to the addiction since adolescence.

Read further:

1. Causes of alcoholism among the population
2. Preventive measures in the fight against alcohol addiction in the population
3. Primary prevention
4. Secondary prevention
5. Tertiary prevention
6. What preventive measures is the state taking in the fight against alcoholism?
7. Prevention of alcoholism in educational institutions
8. Prevention of alcoholism in the family

Causes of alcoholism among the population

Alcohol dependence develops gradually due to regular consumption of drinks containing ethanol. No one is immune from this disease. Men and women of all age groups, different social statuses and nationalities become alcoholics. There are many reasons for alcoholism. Let's highlight the most common ones:

• chronic depression;
• dissatisfaction with social or personal life;
• lack of useful hobbies, banal boredom;
• problems at work, in the family, desire to relieve stress;
• feeling of loneliness, inferiority;
• complexes, lack of self-confidence;
• bad environment;
• excessive parental care or, conversely, lack of attention from loved ones.

The fight against alcoholism must begin by eradicating the main reason that pushes a person to drink alcohol. If an alcoholic himself cannot determine what makes him resort to an addiction, an experienced psychologist can work with him. The specialist will quickly establish trusting contact with the addicted person and find out the main cause of alcoholism in a particular case.

Alcoholism negatively affects the entire human body and its mental state. If measures are not taken in time, the consequences will be the most unfavorable. We will not list all the complications of alcohol dependence that lead to the development of chronic diseases and premature death of the drinker. Today we will focus on the need to use preventive measures in society, and what preventive methods can be taken to combat this serious social problem.

Main principles

Many serious diseases are easier to prevent than to spend money and effort on treatment, so it is important to reduce the risk of developing alcohol dependence. It is enhanced by a person’s environment, traditions, family rituals and congenital characteristics . Therefore, when drawing up preventive measures, the following factors are taken into account:

• difficult moments in personal life, everyday conflict situations;
• mental illnesses and disabilities;
• low level of intellectual development;
• social status;
• psychological problems and stressful situations;
• growing up in a drinking family.

The main principles when developing interventions are to eliminate the factors that provoke alcoholism. It is important to provide conditions for self-development, study, and communication without alcoholic beverages. For mental disorders , rehabilitation centers and accessible medical care are needed.

The private drug treatment clinic provides consultations for addicts and provides support to family members using modern methods.

Preventive measures in the fight against alcohol addiction in the population

In order to prevent alcoholism at the state level in Russia, effective measures are being developed that involve an integrated approach involving family and social institutions. The main strategy in this fight is to reduce risk factors and enhance protective factors that reduce susceptibility to alcohol. In general, alcoholism prevention is divided into three levels: primary, secondary and tertiary. Let's take a closer look.

Primary prevention

This preventive measure is aimed at reducing the risk of starting to drink alcohol among people who have never taken harmful drinks before. This primarily concerns teenagers. All social structures that have a certain influence and contact with the younger generation, as well as the family and the child’s close circle, should participate in preventive measures for alcoholism.

Secondary prevention

This preventative measure is primarily selective, aimed at people who already drink alcohol and cannot quit the habit. This category may include people with just emerging signs of alcohol dependence, as well as those who are already at stages 1 and 2.

Tertiary prevention

This measure is based on a medical approach and is aimed at people who already have acute or chronic forms of alcoholism. narcologists , psychologists, psychotherapists and other specialized specialists help alcoholics overcome addiction After the treatment course, preventive measures are taken to prevent the risks of relapse in later life.

Why don't you say you shouldn't drink?

In the course of preventive work, the main emphasis should not be on prohibitions, since with their help nothing can usually be achieved. The fact is that normally every person’s body produces a small amount of alcohol. Without it, the full functioning of vital processes is impossible. When a specialist comes to the audience and begins to say that alcohol is evil, people experience rejection at the subconscious level. After all, their body knows that it cannot work without alcohol.

Therefore, you should not hang posters about prohibitions and focus your lectures on them. Education must be more literate. It is necessary to clarify that alcohol is produced in the body independently. And this is the norm. But if you take it additionally in the form of alcohol-containing drinks, the natural process is disrupted. Then the person can no longer cope without constant doses and becomes an alcoholic.

It is also recommended to show listeners videos about how the brain is destroyed under the influence of alcohol. Show them examples of people who were successful but died due to addiction. Such work always turns out to be more effective, as it forces everyone to think about health and make the only right decision.

What preventive measures is the state taking in the fight against alcoholism?

Every year in our country over 75 thousand people die from alcohol addiction. In order to effectively combat alcoholism in Russia, the concept of anti-alcohol policy was developed at the state level, aimed at reducing the consumption of alcoholic beverages among the population. This program has been in effect since 2009 and is already showing good results.

State prevention measures against alcoholism:

1. A ban on drinking alcoholic beverages in public places (with the exception of specially designated establishments licensed to sell alcohol - bars, restaurants, etc.).
2. Limitation of advertising campaigns through the media that promote alcohol.
3. The sale of alcoholic beverages to persons under 18 years of age is prohibited. Violation of this law carries heavy fines.
4. Limiting the sale of alcohol in stores at night and in the early morning hours.
5. Increase in excise tax rates on alcoholic beverages.
6. The manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages at home is prohibited. Violation of this law carries criminal liability.
7. Information propaganda in favor of a healthy lifestyle.

Between 2009 and 2021 In Russia, about 1.3 million people were officially registered as suffering from alcoholism, which is 37% less than in the previous decade. The reduction in the number of alcohol addicts among the population is associated with effective prevention adopted at the governmental and social level.

Main stages

In order for preventive measures to have the desired result, they must be carried out in a clearly agreed upon order, based on the severity of the situation.

The following stages are distinguished:

• Conducting educational conversations with a psychological option for influencing the subconscious.
• Performing psychological assistance techniques for patients suffering from cravings for regular consumption of alcoholic beverages.
• A set of measures aimed at conducting rehabilitation programs, returning those recovering to normal life after the end of the acute phase of addiction.

Prevention of alcoholism in educational institutions

A negative attitude towards alcohol must be formed from an early age. Preventive measures for alcoholism should be actively used in educational institutions - schools, technical colleges, universities. Teachers and psychologists can hold various events dedicated to topics about the dangers of alcoholism. An important task is also the formation of an attitude towards a healthy lifestyle.

How can alcoholism prevention be implemented in educational institutions:

1. Conduct open lessons, seminars and lectures with children, conveying information about the harmful effects of alcohol on the body and the consequences of drinking alcohol.
2. Distribute thematic brochures, magazines, leaflets, promoting the abandonment of any bad habits.
3. Organization of sports sections, hobby groups, and intellectual games in educational institutions, which will attract the attention of the younger generation to a healthy active life, good hobbies, and sports.
4. Posting information materials on the school website.

Teachers need to pay special attention to adolescents at risk:

• children from disadvantaged families;
• students with poor academic performance;
• having problems communicating with peers, teachers and other people from close circles.

Adolescents with unfavorable personal qualities are also at risk: low self-esteem, lack of self-confidence, difficult character, low intelligence, internal protest, unwillingness to adhere to general social norms, etc.

How does alcohol affect internal organs?

Alcohol destroys the liver

(the main function of the liver is to neutralize all substances that are absorbed in the stomach and intestines): as a result of the constant toxic effects of alcohol, inflammation of the liver occurs - alcoholic hepatitis, then a large number of liver cells die and cirrhosis develops. Liver cirrhosis is one of the common causes of death in patients with alcoholism.

Alcohol damages the pancreas

, causing acute as well as chronic pancreatitis. Patients with acute pancreatitis are hospitalized urgently, as surgical intervention is often required to save the patient’s life.

Alcohol damages the heart

, causes arrhythmias, arterial hypertension, disrupts metabolism in the cells of the heart muscle, while some of the cells die and myocardial dystrophy develops (reduction in heart weight).

Alcohol reduces immunity

(the body’s ability to protect itself from infections), so drinkers often suffer from pneumonia, purulent, and infectious diseases.

Alcohol causes skin changes

. Everyone knows the “red noses of alcoholics.”

Alcohol damages the peripheral nervous system

. This is manifested by the characteristic “gait of alcoholics,” in which there is an uncertain slow gait, staggering, and trembling of the fingers.

Alcohol leads to impotence

, to damage to germ cells, as a result, children are born with various disorders in physical and mental development, with various internal and external deformities.

Prevention of alcoholism in the family

Preventive measures aimed at combating alcoholism must be implemented in the family. We cannot shift all responsibility to social and government structures. Parents who care about their fate and health can influence a child’s lifestyle.

What preventive measures should be implemented in the family:

1. Get involved in raising your children. Don't neglect them. Talk to them, take an interest in their life, relationships with peers, performance at school, etc. Trusting relationships between children and parents are an important measure for preventing bad habits.
2. Be a personal example for them. Avoid alcohol, smoking and other harmful substances. If parents drink alcohol regularly, their children often choose a similar path.
3. Try to arouse your child's interest in a healthy lifestyle. Play sports together, stick to proper nutrition and daily routine.
4. Organize exciting leisure activities. Try to choose an interesting hobby with your child. Having a useful hobby, children are less likely to succumb to the temptation of bad habits.
5. Control your circle of close friends who may become bad role models. If a teenager gets involved with a bad crowd where they smoke, drink or use drugs, talk to him and try to convince him that such communication can have negative consequences for his life.
6. Inform your child about the dangers of alcohol and other bad habits. Give clear examples. You can watch thematic programs and videos on the topic of alcoholism.

Many parents who miss time in raising a child lose authority in his eyes and can no longer influence his position in life. In such cases, the right decision would be to contact a qualified psychologist.

Comprehensive prevention , organized at the state, social and family level, will help reduce the number of alcohol dependent people in our country, and most importantly, will help protect the younger generation from the harmful dependence on alcohol.

We at the ANO Addiction Prevention and Promotion of a Healthy Lifestyle provide high-quality prevention in educational institutions and private organizations, both for young people and the older generation. A lot of video material was shot and many presentations were prepared.

It is better to invest time and money in the prevention of harmful addictions than struggle and many years of treatment!

Author and editor of the article
Maxim Razorenkov

Clinical (medical) psychologist, social educator

Ask a Question

Question to the expert

Do you carry out prevention in private schools? And if so, how can I contact you?

So far we have not been invited to private educational institutions, but in state universities and colleges we give about 30-35 lectures annually. You can contact us by phone ☎️

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When to sound the alarm

There are signs, when they appear, you need to deal not only with prevention, but also contact a doctor to undergo treatment. This means:

• the presence of a constant desire to drink something containing alcohol;

• lack of ability to control the amount of drink (after several glasses a person is no longer able to stop and drinks until he can stand on his feet and speak);
• the appearance of a painful hangover the day after drinking;
• drinking alcohol for several days in a row;
• memory loss during drinking days.

All these symptoms do not necessarily indicate the formation of a stable alcohol dependence - they can signal the onset of the disease. If you notice that they are directly related to you or your loved one, be sure to stop further drinking. If you do not do this, then in the near future alcoholism will manifest itself “in all its glory.”

If you realize that you can no longer cope with the painful craving for alcohol on your own, do not despair. The main thing is that you realize that you have a problem. Be sure to make an appointment with an experienced narcologist and undergo the treatment prescribed by him. Today, alcoholism is successfully treated. At the same time, drug treatment services can be obtained completely anonymously.

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Secondary measures

After standard conversations and lectures, the second stage begins, which is usually carried out by specialists from rehabilitation centers. It consists of careful work with the patient and his relatives - it helps to form the right life attitudes and strengthen motivation. Secondary prevention of alcoholism is prescribed to already dependent patients; it allows you to guide a person’s behavior and gradually instill in him an aversion to drinking.

Secondary measures include the following techniques :

• lectures and conversations;
• individual and group therapy;
• meetings with people who have successfully completed rehabilitation and returned to normal life;
• counseling relatives of an addict - working through family conflicts and childhood traumas;
• assistance in building confidence, self-esteem, finding new goals and motivation, and the desire to live without alcohol.

Training for relatives of an addicted patient is considered mandatory - a psychologist and narcologist explain how to properly help, what kind of atmosphere needs to be created in the home, and how to avoid returning to old habits.