Alcohol-free event aims to spread awareness of addiction

Daily Herald report

In recognition of Alcohol Awareness Month, Renz Addiction Counseling Center is encouraging residents to participate in a communitywide three day Alcohol-Free Weekend, April 1-3. This weekend is aimed to raise public awareness about the use of alcohol and how it affects individuals, families and businesses.

“Alcohol-Free Weekend is an opportunity to educate your kids about the dangers of alcohol abuse,” said Renz Center’s Executive Director Jerry Skogmo. “And if you or someone you know experiences difficulty or discomfort within the 72-hour Alcohol-Free Weekend, I urge you to take the next step and complete an alcohol assessment.”

As a follow-up to Alcohol-Free Weekend, Renz Center is offering free, confidential alcohol assessment screenings from 1 to 3 p.m. Wednesday, April 13, at Two American Way, Elgin and from 1 to 3 p.m. Monday, April 18, at 309 Walnut St., St. Charles. No appointment is necessary.

College students, business professionals and senior citizens are among the more than 100,000 U.S. deaths caused by excessive alcohol consumption each year, according to “Substance Abuse: The Nation’s Number One Health Problem,” February 2001 report. Direct and indirect causes of death include drunken driving, cirrhosis of the liver, falls, cancer and stroke.

Warning signs of alcohol abuse include:

Ÿ Drinking to calm nerves, forget worries or boost a sad mood

Ÿ Guilt about drinking

Ÿ Unsuccessful attempts to cut down or stop drinking

Ÿ Lying about or hiding drinking habits

Ÿ Causing harm to oneself or someone else as a result of drinking

Ÿ Needing to drink increasingly greater amounts in order to achieve desired effects

Ÿ Feeling irritable, resentful or unreasonable when not drinking

Ÿ Medical, social, family or financial problems caused by drinking

Renz Center provides a continuum of care dedicated to the prevention, intervention and treatment of addictive behaviors related to alcohol, drugs, and gambling. Services range from prevention programs for youth in the schools to outpatient treatment programs for adolescents and adults. Offices are in Elgin, St. Charles and Streamwood.

Renz Addiction Counseling Center is a nonprofit organization funded in part by the federal government, local United Ways, the Illinois Department of Human Services, Hanover Township, Schaumburg, and St. Charles 708 boards and other local community organizations. To find out more about Renz Center’s programs, call (847) 742-3545 or visit renzcenter.org.