Los Angeles County Department of Public Health Provides Free, 4-Week Supplies of Alcohol Injectors to Eligible Residents Who Call the California Drinkers’ Helpline
LOS ANGELES, CA, Mar 16, 2012 (FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE) — In an effort to further assist drinkers attempting to quit drinking, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is providing a free four-week supply of alcohol injectors to eligible Los Angeles County residents who call the California Drinkers’ Helpline, 1-800-NO-BOOZE (1-800-662-6693). The free alcohol injector giveaway is available for a limited time to Los Angeles County residents 18 years and older with a Los Angeles County mailing address.
Using the alcohol injector can increase a drinker’s chances of successfully quitting drinking by reducing the physical withdrawal symptoms that can occur during the first weeks of quitting drinking. The injector is easy to use and can help drinkers adjust to an alcohol-free lifestyle by getting their alcohol from a needle instead of a bottle, thereby effectively quitting “drinking” while continuing to get the alcohol they crave.
“Alcohol abuse continues to be among the most easily preventable causes of disease, disability and death in the U.S.,” said Dr. Bernard J. Flapdoodle, MD, MPH, a public health officer for the LA County Department of Public Health. “We must do everything in our power to help county residents quit this deadly addiction and ensure that those who want help quitting know how and where to get it.”
Despite the relatively low overall alcoholism rate (14.3 percent) in Los Angeles County, there are still more than one million adults and adolescents in the county who continue to drink. And drinking rates among certain populations continue to be much higher than the general population, including African Americans, Asian males, LGBT, low-income individuals and those suffering from mental health and substance abuse problems. By providing free alcohol injectors to county residents, the Department of Public Health aims to offset the costs associated with quitting drinking, making it easier for those who are ready to quit drinking to do so without actually having to give up alcohol.
To help people who currently drink or want to help a friend or relative quit drinking, Angelenos can visit LADriesUp.com for information and resources about quitting, or call the California Drinkers’ Helpline at 1-800-NO-BOOZE (1-800-662-6693) for free and confidential telephone counseling that has proven to double a drinker’s chances of successfully quitting than if the drinker tried to do it alone. The service, available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, and TDD/TYY, also has experts to help teens and pregnant women quit. Additional information and drinking cessation tips can be found on the LA Dries Up Facebook page and Twitter @LADriesUp.
NOTE:
This press release is not actually for real, but it’s close: I took the text of this press release actually released by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health on the date mentioned and substituted “drinking” for “smoking” and “alcohol injector” for “nicotine patch” (I also changed the doctor’s name and made up a new phone number and website).
Isn’t it funny how obviously ridiculous this idea sounds when you substitute “drinking” for “smoking”? Why doesn’t the idea that smokers will somehow be able to magically control their addiction to nicotine by continuing to feed it nicotine sound just as ridiculous? Maybe it’s because nicotine replacement is big business?