Held annually on Thursday of the first full week of April, National Alcohol Screening Day is an outreach, education, and screening program that raises awareness about alcohol misuse.

Columbia Basin Health Association (CBHA) joins with colleges, community-based organizations and military installations nation wide to provide this program.

Screenings will be held Thursday, April 10th, from 10 to 5 p.m. No appointment is necessary. Screenings are conducted by a health care professional.

Leo Gaeta, CBHA Director of Programs, stresses that all screenings are confidential.

"We do this annually in an effort to help patients deal with issues involving alcohol both in their personal and family life," he said.

A report recently published in the Archives of General Psychiatry found that, while depression did not lead to alcohol abuse, alcohol abuse did increase the risk for major depression. Possible reasons for this could be the impact of alcohol on the body or the stressful life events brought on by heavy alcohol use.

Almost daily we read in area newspapers or social media that someone has been injured or killed in a traffic accident caused by a driver who has previously been convicted of a DUI (Driving under the Influence).

Excess alcohol consumption alters judgment and can lead to dependency and a great many other serious health problems.

Taking more than one drink per day for women or two drinks per day for men can raise the risk for motor vehicle crashes, other injuries, high blood pressure, stroke, violence, suicide and certain types of cancer.

The risk of alcohol abuse increases when drinking starts at an early age.

The adverse effects of alcohol consumption are many. 41% of all fatal car accidents are alcohol-related crashes or road accidents.

Alcohol consumption has also been linked with greater risk of traumatic trauma including bicycling accidents, falls, self inflicted injuries, injuries during sports activities, injuries in recreational events and interpersonal violence.

The annual economic expenses of alcohol abuse in the US are expected to be nearly $185 billion.

Gaeta urges area residents to take advantage of the alcohol screening day.

"This simple assessment will help patients discover whether a problem with alcohol exists," he said.