“For every family affected by drugs, there are another 10-15 families affected by alcohol abuse. It's a big deal. We have a tendency to look at only part of the puzzle." (Kevin Lewis). As a society we tend to categorize the severity of addiction so that drugs are the most dangerous and alcohol is only a problem. Because alcohol addiction can be a slowly progressing disease, many people do not see it in the same light as drug addiction. Drug addiction is seen as a more deadly and dangerous problem than alcohol addiction because drug addiction can come on more quickly and can kill more quickly. Alcohol is something that is easy to obtain, something found in almost every restaurant. People with an alcohol addiction cannot hide from alcohol as easily as a drug addict. Approximately 7 million Americans suffer from alcohol abuse and another 7 million suffer from alcoholism. (Haisong 6) The dangers of alcohol affect everyone, from children with alcoholic parents, to teenagers who abuse alcohol, then to citizens who are terrified of drunk drivers. Alcoholism is defined as a destructive dependence on alcohol while alcohol abuse is defined as a destructive abuse of alcohol. Alcoholism is the most serious form of alcohol abuse, but there are many different factors that contribute to a person becoming an alcoholic. Alcoholism is genetic but is usually influenced by the environment you grow up in and your current environment. Having an abusive childhood or a difficult life in general can trigger feelings that turn into a need to drink. An alcoholic cannot control his drinking because he has no control over it. There are many signs and symptoms to determine if someone is in fact a quasi-paper God. Network. April 11. 2010. .Unknown. "Alcohol." KidsHealth: The most visited children's health site on the web. Nemours Foundation, 2010. Web. 22 April. 2010. .Unknown. “The Harmful Effects of Alcohol on the Brain.” NIAAA Publications. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, June 2006. Web. April 12. 2010. .Unknown. “Facts about alcoholism.” Drug addiction: towards recovery. Drug Addiction Support, 2010. .Unknown. “Alcoholism Facts: Includes Signs of Alcohol Abuse Treatments.” Facts about alcoholism. Median Network, 3 August 2006. Web. 30 April. 2010. .