This was presented as a student presentation on the Seminar on Alcoholism for 2nd year medical students.

1. Yapa Wijeratne Faculty of Medicine University of Peradeniya Sri Lanka Prevention of alcohol related problems

2. Problems in brief ….. Psychological Mental illness- alcohol dependency Psychiatric disorders to develop and an increased risk of suicide Emotional & physical abuse of children Severe cognitive problems Social Domestic violence Conflicting with neighbours Break up of the family units Social isolation Poverty Effects on children education

3. Physical Cirrhosis Pancreatitis Epilepsy Polyneuropathy Alcoholic dementia Heart disease Nutritional deficiencies Sexual dysfunction Increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease, Malabsorption Cancer Damage to the central nervous system and peripheral nervous system can occur fromsustained alcohol consumption.

4. Prevention of Psychological problems Physical problems Social problems

5. Available sources of alcohol

6. The supply or availability of alcohol can be reduced by: Controls of production and trade Controls on distribution and sales (regulating the number of licensed outlets and their hours of opening; drinking age laws) Not issuing any liquor license to open new liquor shops. All possible measures to stop the production of illicit liquor. Increasing the price of alcoholic drink by taxation. Decrease the amount of liquor being imported. Banning or restricting advertising of alcohol.

7. Measures to reduce the demand for alcohol include:- Health Education-MOST IMPORTANT Promotion of alternatives to alcoholic drinks Provision of alternatives to drinking as a leisure-time occupation Reducing incentives to drinking by controls on advertising and promotion of alcohol.

8. Guidelines for parents to prevent alcohol abuse amongst adolescents-Parental attention on their children Helping young people with mental health problems.

9. What are the effective alcoholprevention strategies? Demystification. Demonstrating no advantages in alcohol use. Changing social reality/social milieu. Deglamorize the alcohol use.

10. DEMYSTIFICATION Programmes should focus on people and their reasons for alcohol use, rather than the psycho pharmercological actions of alcohol. Some people say that they use alcohol to forget problems, to relax, for enjoyment, as an appetizer, to enhance creativity and for many other reasons. But none of this is a pharmercological or chemical effect of ethyl alcohol. Therefore, it is important to discuss how people falsely identify that alcohol is beneficial and then break those falsely held social beliefs.

11. DEMONSTRATING NO ADVANTAGES IN ALCOHOL USE Alcohol industry tries to illustrate a positive side of alcohol use. The alcohol users, along with a large fraction of the society however think that a moderate use of alcohol is beneficial. Some scientists who are in the alcohol industry payroll make statements that are biased towards to wards the industry to promote alcohol. There is no good scientific evidence to support the idea that moderate use of alcohol is beneficial. Alcohol prevention programmes should demonstrate that there are no advantages what so ever in alcoholuse.

12. CHANGING THE SOCIAL REALITY Since the creation of the positive image of alcohol is a social phenomenon, its reversal too has to be through social change. Programmes should examine and identify the rituals, symbolic meanings and other social learning influences which make alcohol experience positive and change these social attitudes. Alcohol promoting influences may differ form culture to culture. Therefore when planning a prevention strategy it is necessary that the alcohol promoting culture to be clearly identified.

14. unpleasant even at an optimum level

16. So if ultimately the total prevention of alcoholism is never realistically going to be achieved Manage alcoholics In order to prevent the problems to the society & to him.

17. Management Medications A variety of medications may be prescribed as part of treatment for alcoholism. E.g.Antabuse (disulfiram),Temposil (calcium carbimide),Naltrexone,Campral Detoxification Alcohol detoxification or 'detox' for alcoholics is an abrupt stop of alcohol drinking coupled with the substitution of drugs, such as benzodiazepines, that have similar effects to prevent alcohol withdrawal. Group therapy and psychotherapy

18. Thank you.

19. Note: This was done as a student presentation using photographs & content from various web sites & textbooks on the assumption of fair usage for studying & is for NON-COMMERCIAL purposes.