An article written by the Alaksa Dispatch News titles "Americas are drinking themselves to death at record rates" was recently posted in the Recovery Elevator Private Accountability Group on facebook and I was blown away by what I read.

Here are some of the bullets that I want to point out from the article.

Facts about the booze:

• Last year more than 30,700 Americans died from alcohol-induced causes
• In 2014 there were 9.6 deaths from these alcohol-induced causes per 100,000 people, an increase of 37% since 2002.
• in 2014 28,647 people died of heroin and prescription drug overdoses which is less than the 30,700 from alcohol.
• The top 10% of American adults consume the lions share of alcohol in this country with close to 74 drinks on average.
• Line between "moderate use” and “Dangerous use”can be a thin one.
• A recent study quantified the rise of death associated with the use of a variety of common recreational drugs and they found that at the level of individual use, alcohol was the deadliest substance, followed by heroine and cocaine.

Meetup! Bozeman in January 23rd and Seattle February 27th 2016

This is huge Recovery Elevator. The first Recovery Elevator meetup will be taking place in Seattle on Saturday February 27th, 2016. Details to come. Email [email protected] for more info on this meetup.

You might be an alcoholic if:

- you feel like you have to hide it from anybody at any time. Bill - Interviewee

-you swish mouthwash to freshen your breath and you notice you cannot taste or feel it... it's like swishing water -Margaret

-at 476 days you are still finding empty beer cans in the garage, workshop, musical equipment cases etc because you were hiding so many empties thinking that you were fooling everyone about how much you were actually drinking. -James P

-you carry the tiny wine bottles in your purse and one falls out when you go to pay for your mani pedi at the nail salon. -Larecia

-you live in a really small tourist town with 3 liquor stores within walking distance and you go in the liquor store to buy your usual, and the clerk offers you the "locals" (read frequent buyer) discount! -Tyrrell

You find a half-empty flask of flavored vodka that you hid under the sink months ago and actually contemplate drinking it, even though you just hit one week sober. -Me

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