Talbot Partnership for Alcohol & Other Drug Abuse Prevention has been working to raise the awareness of the dangers of alcohol and the problems that it creates in Talbot County. According to Gary Pearce, Executive Director of Talbot Partnership, alcohol is deeply entrenched in our social and cultural norms and daily adult behaviors. The problem of alcohol abuse is not just with our youth, but with our adult population as well. According to data from the State of Maryland, Talbot County has the highest per capita adult consumption of wine in the State of Maryland.

Alcohol causes more harm than any other drug in the United States. Alcohol-related harm goes far beyond just drunk driving or underage drinking. Alcohol use contributes to a wide range of societal and personal consequences. In the United States, alcohol is the third leading cause of preventable death.

Alcohol contributes to various illnesses such as hypertension, liver cirrhosis, chronic pancreatitis, and cancers of the breast, esophagus, and larynx. Alcohol contributes to a wide range of injuries, including motor vehicle crashes, fires, falls, drowning, and unintentional firearm injuries and plays a role in violent crimes such as homicides, sexual assaults, domestic violence, and child abuse.

The Honorable Broughton Earnest, Circuit Court Judge for Talbot County advised in a recent Brue Ribbon Commission Report to the Community, that “When I was appointed to the bench, I was amazed to learn that more than 60% of our cases involved alcohol or drugs.”

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for people under the age of 35 and alcohol is involved in more than half of these fatal crashes. Far from a benign substance, alcohol use, even at moderate levels, can cause a wide variety of harm, the scope of which goes largely unrecognized by the general public and policymakers alike.

Mr. Pearce points out that Talbot Partnership is not a prohibitionist organization. “We encourage the community to recognize the dangers of alcohol, show restraint in the promotion of alcohol at community events, set good examples for our youth and obey all laws relating to consumption, driving and providing to youth.”

For further information on the dangers of alcohol and what you can do to assist, contact Talbot Partnership at 410-819-8067 or info@talbotpartnership.org.