Not sure about grabbing that beer? You’re not alone. Americans are reaching for alcohol at record lows, according to a new Gallup survey.
The survey, out Aug. 20, found the number of Americans who say they drink alcohol sits at 54% for the second consecutive year − and health concerns appear to be a major factor.
“Fifty-one percent of U.S. adults now believe drinking one or two alcoholic beverages a day is bad for one’s health,” the survey results noted. “The figure is essentially unchanged from last year’s record-high 53%.”
In 2001, only 27% considered moderate drinking bad for one’s health, according to Gallup.
As far as I’m aware, the only other drug class aside from alcohol, whose withdrawals can kill you are benzodiazepines.
I was in rehab once with someone who had a terrible Xanax addiction. They had to wean him off, and he still had psychotic episodes where he would hallucinate some very bizarre things accompanied by these terrible panic attacks while they weaned him off, not to mention the seizures he would have.
They eventually stopped, but the first few weeks he was there were an absolute nightmare for him.
Yup, people always talk about opiate withdrawals, and they are awful, but they don’t usually kill you directly. It’ll make you want to die, and that sometimes does people in, but in terms of directly killing you not so much. Alcohol and benzos absolutely will.
Hospitals stock beer cans because dealing with withdrawl is too difficult with other health issues.