Pathfinders Recovery Center, which is based in Scottsdale, AZ, recommends that people examine the reasons to stop drinking alcohol as a way to start the New Year right. They want to point out that the New Year presents an opportunity to finally put aside the negative effects of alcohol on their bodies, finances, social life, and even its legal ramifications particularly when drinking and driving. Drinking alcohol can cause substantial harm not just on health and reputation but it may even cost a person’s life. That is why Pathfinders Recovery Center has also published a blog post that offers some tips on avoiding drinking and driving. This is timely because people tend to drink heavily during New Year’s Eve.
A representative for Pathfinders Recovery Center says, “Every day 29 people die in car crashes involving a drunk driver. Alcohol is very prevalent in our culture and media images. This makes drinking and driving a big problem in the United States that causes significant damage to property, reputations, people and in the worst cases death. With the New Year fast approaching, 2022 could be a wonderful time to put aside the harmful influences of alcohol, which is why we urge people to take the time to think how alcohol may have been harming them and the people around them.”
They offer seven tips on how to avoid drinking and driving. These include: giving the car keys to a trusted friend; pacing oneself; avoiding drinking alcohol 90 minutes to two hours before planning to leave; spending the night to avoid the need to drive home; picking a trusted friend as designated driver; taking the night off; and finding another way to get home aside from driving.
Another notable harmful effect of drinking alcohol is on the person’s finances. That is why Pathfinders Recovery Center has also released a blog post that examines the cost of alcohol. The problem is that many people don’t even realize how much they are spending on alcoholic drinks. Figuring out how much a person spends on alcohol may be difficult and the cost may vary because of the different prices of the kinds of drinks and brands. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average American spends about one percent of his or her annual gross income on alcohol purchases, which is approximately $565 per year. Those who are struggling with an alcohol addiction may spend much more, possibly thousands of dollars per year assuming that they only stick to the inexpensive brands.
Drinking alcohol excessively for an extended period of time can also alter a person’s appearance. At the start, people may be able to hide their drinking problem but as time goes by, the external effects of alcohol on the body become more apparent. These include hair loss, lines and wrinkles, sagging skin, yellow and dull eyes, weight gain, broken capillaries particularly around the nose and cheeks, and bloating. Drinking alcohol causes the loss of essential minerals like zinc. Zinc deficiency can lead to hair fallout. The lines and wrinkles on the face appear because of skin dehydration. Sagging skin is due to insufficient collagen resulting from a deficiency in vitamins and nutrients. And dehydration also causes the eyes to appear yellow and dull.
Established in 2017, Pathfinders Recovery Center leverages the combined …….