!by Brtnda Kennedy BSN!
A Black Perspective
You &
Your
Health
Brenda
It is estimated that about 80
million people in the U.S. use
alcohol and about 6'% million
people suffer from this disease
called alcoholism. According
to the National Council on
Alcoholism, industries loee at
least 4 billion dollars each
year because of alcoholism
among employees. Many
companies have special pro
grams for treatment and for
rehabilitation.
In the Black community
alcoholism is found more often
'in the younger age group.
There is an increasing number
of Black teenage alcoholics.
51 percent of the Black pati
ents who are hospitalized for
alcoholism are between the
ages of 20-34. It should be
noted that most treatment and
rehabilitation programs
seem to revolve around the —
white middled-aged alcoholic.
This becomes a problem be
cause one cannot deal with the
problems of the young Black
alcoholic by using tools crea
ted to help another group.
Those persons working in the
areas should make special
efforts to relate to this group
from a Black perspective. .
Complications related to al
coholism may afflict the body
and the mind. Often nervous
conditions are found in the
alcoholic. Alcoholism may
impair the function of th liver
(cirrhosis), cause persistent
nervous changes and gastric
or stomach disturbances. In
directly, the kidneys and heart
function may be disturbed.
The chronic alcoholic may
suffer from severe malnutri
tion, vitamin deficiencies and
decreased resistance to infect
ious diseases.
successful treatment for al
coholism is possible only if the
person wants to stop drinking
and this happens only when he
has been brought to recognize
the seriousness of the condit
ion. The alcoholic should be
under the care of a physician,
who will recommend the pro
per treatment whether vita
min or nutritional therapy,
medications, counseling or
hospitalization. If you know of
someone with such a problem,
remember that an attitude of
understanding will do much
toward helping them seek help
in coping with the problem.
...MioM-;, ucpiciuoti «>, uio-ina LMAKLU1TE HOST-Page 7B
October 4
Ebony Exposures Begin Season
A government-sponsored
program that trains women to
become carpenters, electri
cians, plumbers, brick
masons and welders is the
subject of the first program as
EBONY EXPOSURES begins
a new season Wednesday,
October 4 at 7 p.m. on Channel
58.
Audrey Kates, producer and
host for EBONY
exposures, visits the Carolina
Skill Advancement Center in
Raleigh to see how the skilled
.training and improvement
program works. "The women
are enthusiastic and excited
about being trained for non
traditional roles;"' says Ms.
Kates. The training program
is available to females
exclusively.
Ms. Scottie Ferguson is dir
ector of the Advancement
Center, which is housed in a
building formerly occupied by
the Raleigh Police Training
Academy.
According to Ms. Kates,
members of the first graduat
ing class cite three reasons
why women come to the Cent-,
"er to learn a new skill: "They
are tired of job opportunities
Jimited to secretarial work
only; they realize they can
earn more in a skilled posit
ion, (electricians make $6.00
hr.) and they want to change
the historical role of women in
the job market they are tired
of men_getting all the good,
high-paying jobs."
Ms. Kates emphasizes that
there is no sterotype of wo
man who comes to the Center
for training: "Some are
married, with children, some
are not. Some seem more
physically suited for this type
of work than others, but all are
enthusiastic about it."
One of the trainees at the
Center is Marie Hil., an in
mate at Women's Correctional
Center. Ms. Kates notes that
the training program has
changed Ms. Hill's life. "She
is very excited about the
prospect of using her new
skills while on work-release
from prison. "
The Center is able to ac
commodate students only. To
expand its services, the Cen
ter has acquired an old house
and plans are already under
way to transform it into a
dormitory Work on the house
is being done by the trainees
as they apply their newly
acquired skills
George's Con-Ganie
Allan Willis sees through
George's scheme to con him
out of his newly inherited
warehouse, so George direct
his flim-uammery at an alter
nate target, Louise, on The
Jeffersons", Wednesday. Oct
ober 4 at 8 p.m. on WBTV,
Channel 3.
THIS
IS YOUR
PAPER
USE IT!
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a disease that
affects our lives in many
ways. It is a unique problem
in our Black community that
should be looked at closely and
from a different - Black per
spective.
Alcoholism is defined as
long-continued, excessive con
sumption of alcohol. The
person with this disease is one
who drinks compulsively and
in such a way that his (or her)
drinking is damaging to him
self, his way of life and those
about him. It is the compul
sive character of his drinking
that sets the alcoholic apart
from the heavy or occasion
ally excessive drinker. He
aDDears to crave for alcohol
but cannot control or govern
this craving.
There is really no accepted
explanation to account for the
fact that one person becomes
an alcoholic while another
person does not. Generally
speaking, there are certain
characteristics that support
one who is an alcoholic. If the
environment emphasizes or
supports drinking and if there
are psychological factors pre
sent, the chances are greater
for that person to become an
alcoholic. Financial diffi
culties. unresolved conflicts,
loneliness and marital pro
blems may all contribute to
alcoholism.
SIDING
ENDS PAINTING
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