For the Media/Press Release

Family recovery key to = treatment for=20 alcoholism, researcher says

Alcoholics and=20 alcohol abusers attract more public attention, but their families = and=20 friends also suffer long-term effects from alcoholism=97and their = recovery=20 may be essential to the alcoholic's recovery, according to a = leading=20 researcher in the field.

"Alcoholism is a=20 family disease. While it is important for the family to = support the=20 alcoholic's recovery, it is also important for members of the = family to=20 get involved in their own recovery. Family recovery = decreases the=20 chances that the children of alcoholics will repeat the pattern = and engage=20 in unhealthy relationships," said Robert J. Ackerman, Ph.D., = cofounder of=20 the National Association for Children of Alcoholics and director = of the=20 Mid-Atlantic Addiction Training Institute at Indiana University of = Pennsylvania.

Dr. = Ackerman was the=20 keynote speaker November 2 for the Celebration of Family Recovery = at the=20 Ottawa Congress Centre in Ottawa, Ontario. His topic was = be: "From=20 Addiction to Recovery=97Developing Healthy Families." The event was = sponsored=20 by
Al-Anon=20 Family Groups in cooperation with the Canadian Centre on Substance = Abuse,=20 Canada's national addictions agency.

Dr. = Ackerman has=20 published 13 books on alcoholism and family recovery, including = the first=20 book in the United States on children of alcoholics. Dr. = Ackerman=20 has become internationally known for his work with families and = children=20 of all ages.

According = to the=20 National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), there = are 18=20 million alcoholics in the U.S. More than 500,000 Canadians = are=20 dependent on alcohol, according to the Canadian Community Health = Survey.=20 According to commonly accepted health-care provider = estimates, each=20 alcoholic adversely affects the lives of an estimated four-to-ten = people.=20 The number of impacted American and Canadian family members = and=20 friends is between 74 and 185 million.

Chief = Executive=20 Officer for the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse (CCSA), Michel = Perron,=20 said, "CCSA and Al-Anon are working toward a common goal, to = reduce=20 alcohol-related harm to families." Perron added, "We commend = the=20 work Al-Anon has done for more than 55 years to provide support to = families touched by alcohol dependency. " CCSA provides = objective,=20 evidence-based information and advice aimed at reducing the = health,=20 social, and economic harm associated with substance abuse and = addictions.=20

For 55 = years=20 relatives and friends of alcoholics in Al-Anon Family Groups have = shared=20 experience and hope with each other in order to solve their common = problems.
Al-Anon believes alcoholism is a family = illness and=20 that changed attitudes can aid recovery.

Family = recovery in=20 Al-Anon takes place at local meetings in every state and province. = =20 More than 14,000 local meetings are held across the U.S. and = Canada,=20 including 424 in Illinois, 679 in New York, and 1,270 in = California.=20 For times and locations of Al-Anon meetings throughout the = U.S. and=20 Canada, call 888-425-2666 Monday=97Friday 8 am to 6 pm ET, or = visit=20 www.al-anon.alateen.org.

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