Abstinence from Alcohol is Best Choice for Alcoholics.
Posted by fredjoiners on November 23, 2007
New research proves that abstinence from alcohol is the best choice for alcoholics.
The researchers interviewed 1,700 alcohol abusers after 3 years of initial contact and found that;
- 51% of heavy drinkers who were experiencing alcohol related problems continued to have problems after the 3 years,
- 27% of those who had moderated their drinking habits still had problems, and
- 7.3% of those who were abstaining from alcohol at their first interview had developed problems caused by drinking alcohol after 3 years.
They reported that the risk of developing alcohol related problems when compared to abstainers were;
- 14.6 times for alcohol abusers, and
- 6.0 times for low volume drinkers
The proportion of these 1,700 people who developed alcohol dependence / alcoholism was;
- 10.2%, for heavy drinkers
- 4.0%, for low-risk drinkers and
- 2.9%, for abstainers
The researchers conclusions: Abstinence represents the most stable form of resolution for most recovering alcoholics.
