MATTAWA - 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.

Screenings will be held Thursday, April 9, from 10-5 p.m. at the Columbia Basin Health Association's clinics. No appointment is necessary. Screenings are conducted by a health care professional.

The CBHA joins with colleges, community-based organizations and military installations nationwide to provide this program. 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.

The adverse effects of alcohol consumption are many, Gaeta said. He noted 41 percent of all fatal car accidents are alcohol-related.

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

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.