A: "CAGE" is a simple mnemonic that can help determine if you, or someone you know, drinks too much.
"C" stands for "cutting back." Have you or the drinker ever been told to cut back on drinking, or thought that you should cut back? Have you or the drinker ever tried without success to cut back?
"A" stands for "annoyed." Do you or the drinker get annoyed when asked to cut back or stop drinking?
"G" stands for "guilty." Do you or the drinker feel guilty about drinking or things that have happened during a drinking episode?
"E" stands for "eye-opener." Do you or the drinker need a drink to get going in the morning, to get rid of a hangover?
A "yes" answer to any of these questions indicate that a drinker may be headed toward trouble.
One of every 10 drinkers eventually becomes addicted to alcohol. Having more than two drinks a day if you're a man or more than one if you're a woman puts you at higher risk for alcoholism and alcohol-related problems.
The younger a person starts drinking, the greater the risk of developing a problem with alcohol or other drugs. Binge drinking (episodes of heavy drinking, to the point of passing out, or being unable to remember what happened, or to the point of getting sick) is a growing problem especially on college campuses.
Alcohol abuse is a major public health problem. Alcohol is the nation's third-leading cause of preventable death. Nearly one-fourth of all Americans admitted to general hospitals have alcohol problems or are undiagnosed alcoholics who are being treated for the consequences of their drinking. Nearly half of all Americans have been exposed to alcoholism in their families.
If you suspect that you or someone you know has a drinking problem, discuss it with your family physician who can refer you to a variety of sources of help and support in the community.
(Lawrence M. Moher, M.D., professor, Department of Family and Community Medicine, The University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson)
The information presented here is not intended to replace the advice of your physician. For referral to a UA physician, please call University Health Connection, (520)694-8888.
Health questions should be sent to: ASK AHSC, AHSC Office of Public Affairs, P.O. Box 245095, Tucson, AZ 85724-5095, or E-mail to: jspinell@u.arizona.edu.
ASK AHSC is published by the Office of Public Affairs, The University of Arizona Health Sciences Center.
Editors Note: To receive ASK AHSC via E-mail, call the AHSC Office of Public Affairs, (520)626-7301.
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