HealthPop
By

Ryan Jaslow /

CBS News/ September 17, 2012, 4:52 PM

Finnish PSA shows effects of alcoholism through eyes of a child

(CBS News) A new public service announcement out of Finland lets parents know what their drinking problem may look like through the eyes of a child.  And it turns out it might be something like a scary movie.

This PSA comes from Fragile Childhood, a not-for profit organization from Finland that started in 1986 to help children who suffer from parental alcohol abuse.

A 2009 study found alcohol to be the number one killer of Finnish adults, responsible for 17 percent of all deaths among 15- to 64-year-old men - surpassing heart disease for the first time - and causing more than 10.5 percent of all deaths in adult women, similar to breast cancer rates.

In the United States, excessive alcohol use is also a major problem. The National Institutes of Health estimates nearly 17.6 million U.S. adults are alcoholics or have a drinking problem.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, excessive drinking increases aggression and, as a result, may increase a person's risk of physically assaulting a person.

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism has more on "Rethinking Drinking."

© 2012 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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standupfanatic says:
Wonderful message. Really great concept. As a child from an alcoholic home, I can tell you those childrens' faces tell the truth
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