NLC encourages cities and towns to participate in National Alcohol Screening Day (NASD), a free program that offers communities the chance to educate the public about alcohol?s impact on health.

Held nationally on April 7, 2005, the theme of this year?s NASD program is ?Alcohol and Your Health: Where Do You Draw the Line??

Participating sites will be given screening forms as well as materials to educate patients about the effects of alcohol on overall health, a message relevant to anyone who drinks.

NASD is co-sponsored by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which released statistics in 2004 revealing that more than 16,000 traffic fatalities a year are alcohol or drug-related, and that alcohol-related car crashes cost society $40 billion.

NASD offers an easy-to-implement way to identify at-risk drinking.

The NASD 2005 community kit includes the one-page NASD screening form ? a validated screening tool that addresses the full range of alcohol use disorders, from at-risk drinking to dependence ? along with videos, brochures, promotional materials, giveaways and other educational resources.

Sites also receive an Event Planning Guide with comprehensive instructions for organizing, conducting and publicizing an NASD screening event.

In past years, participating sites have included hospitals, town halls, counseling centers, primary care offices, malls, supermarkets and universities.

NASD is a free program of the nonprofit Screening for Mental Health, with funding provided by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Details: To register online for this free program, visit www.NationalAlcohol-ScreeningDay.org or call 781-239-0071.