THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, April 5, 1996 TAG: 9604050002
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A14 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 36 lines
April is ``Alcohol Awareness Month.'' The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence asks us to be aware that there is no ``safe'' level of alcohol consumption and that to use alcohol is to put yourself and others at risk. Alcohol is a drug as well as an intoxicant and is no less dangerous because it is legal.
During April, adults who use alcohol are encouraged to abstain for one weekend and promote natural ``highs'' that can be obtained through exercise, meditation and involvement in activities. Abstention sets a good example for young people who need to understand that you can have a good time without getting a chemical high.
Drinking even small amounts of alcohol results in more false positives when testing for AIDS.
To maintain a healthy immune system and lessen fatigue, many specialists recommend abstinence from alcohol use.
Smaller amounts of alcohol dramatically speed up the rate that HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) multiplies in the human blood. Just three beers over a period of two days causes a tenfold increase. These relatively small amounts of alcohol also impair the body's resistance to HIV.
Alcohol use is not only costly to our health but also to our pocketbooks. Americans spend about three times as much on alcoholic beverages as they do on fruits and vegetables.
JUNE RUSSELL
Charlottesville, March 23, 1996 by CNB