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negative effects of drinking alcohol essay
an short essay on harmful effects of alcohol
an short essay on harmful effects of alcohol
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Per-capita consumption of alcohol in the United Kingdom (U.K.) rose 19% between 1980 and 2007, compared with a 13% decline for all 30 countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. That’s a shocking number to be an alcohol level. In Britain many people are concerned about the alcohol consumption level, but on the other hand scientists say that the consumption of liquor is not the problem. They believe alcohol is the solution to a deeper problem people in the U.K. have. Scientists believe that more people are drinking because depression is becoming more common. While scientist think that people are drinking to help cope with their depression, the people of Britain feel that the high level of consumption is getting higher because people are just drinking because they can. Alcoholism is a big ordeal in Britain for the fact that it is costing them about 6 billion pounds a year. The average person from Britain has fifteen and one half liters of pure alcohol to drink daily. The people of Britain think the cost is not worth it. The country won't make it much longer paying that much just for liquor. Alcohol has been around for ages and people don't assume it is going to go away anytime soon. The discovering of alcohol turned into the production of alcohol for sell. But, with the sale of it came the overuse of it. And the overuse became the abuse of it. Alcohol might not have been the best find, but it was one of the most popular finds in history.
Alcoholism all got started by the founding of alcohol. Alcoholic beverages were most likely found accidentally. When fermentation occurred it caused the fruits from the farmers to contain alcohol. Fermentation occurs in any mashed food that contains sugar. So, from gathe...
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Most people point to wars, Presidents or the economy when asked to describe the history of the United States, but what about alcohol. Social history in general has always taken a back seat to political and economic history, mostly because many aspects of social history are not exactly bright spots from the past. Alcohol, for example, is actually a much bigger aspect of our history than one may expect. As a matter of fact, early America was centered around drinking as a kind of social event. William Rorabaugh’s book Alcoholic Republic outlines how prevalent drinking really was during the years after the Revolutionary War. Rorabaugh argues that post-colonial Americans should be considered alcoholics. However, the evidence Rorabaugh uses
Alcoholism has been a fixture in our society since the first introduction of alcohol. Despite it being an equal opportunity disease, a large majority of not only the treatment, but also the research, has been about men. This lack of consideration of the different needs for men and women has led to many women going through recovery systems that do not address their experiences, and therefore do not allow them to take full advantage of that recovery system. This paper will attempt to look at the different experiences that men and women have in their journey through a substance addiction (particularly alcohol), from addiction through recovery. The main recovery method that will be discussed here is Alcoholics Anonymous. As an observation addition to this assignment, I sat in on an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting in Kerrville, TX. The meeting was on Thanksgiving Day at noon. I took detailed notes of the meeting, while keeping a watchful eye for any gendered interactions during the flow of the meeting.
In the 19th century alcohol consumption rocketed and Americans drank “more than five gallons of pure alcohol per person per year“ (Carlson par. 20). Historian W.J. Rorabaugh in his 1979 book, The Alcoholic Republic, wrote “Americans drank at home and abroad, alone and together, at work and at play. They drank before meals, with meals and after meals. They drank while working in the fields and while traveling across half a continent." (qtd. in Carlson par. 20).
Alcohol has been around since ancient times, the original purpose was to treat water for bacteria. However as time went on people began to find other uses and side effects of alcohol. Human nature is of course is to either make money off of, or enjoy to the heart’s content and available substance. Today’s culture of social media, celebrity heroes, and pressure to fit in has driven many people, young and old, to drink. The effects of alcohol are what drive many over people to drink. Euphoria, forgetfulness, playfulness, social confidence, and courage are all some of the feelings many gain from consumption. Many people, especially new drinkers or teenagers do not understand the danger and adverse effects the alcohol has not only from long term but also short term consumption. Today’s drinkers are highly uneducated and do not understand key issues surrounding alcohol like:
After the American Revolution, drinking was on the rise. To combat this, a number of societies were organized as part of a new Temperance movement which attempted to dissuade people from becoming intoxicated. At first, these organizations pushed moderation, but after several decades, the movement's focus changed to complete prohibition of alcohol consumption. (Brayton)
As a society we must get better at understanding alcohol misuse, if we are to tackle some of the major health, economic and social burdens that face current and future generations.
Alcoholic beverages have been around for more than 8000 years and despite the World Health Organisation claiming that the global consumption of alcohol has remained roughly the same since 1990, the main groups who do drink are now drinking a lot more heavily. This is shown in the article, Alcohol pricing: Mulled Whines et al. (2013) where it explains how binge drinking was once a rarity in Spain as alcoholic beverages were only consumed mildly with food. However, nowadays during the night at the Plaza de Espana in central Madrid it is now flocked with many groups of people who have been drinking on a binge which results to vomiting and mess on the streets. Pitts (2010) explains that the social benefits associated with drinking alcoholic beverages include that it ‘produces a sense of relaxation, wellbeing and even euphoria in individuals, which enhances their enjoyment of whatever activity they are participating in’, also it can help ease stress and make you more confident in your actions. However, alcohol also has social costs as The Economist et al. (2013)
...s such as identification with or imitation of the alcoholic parent. It may also happen because of the social and family conditions that are thought to be associated with the development of alcoholism. These include family conflict, job insecurity, divorce, and social stigma. Being diagnosed with alcoholism has a major effect on the person personally. It cause them to change there way of thinking collectively. It changes their view of life and the things going on around them. In the alcoholics personal obstacles they usually have history and a pattern of use. They probably have gone through relapse and other associated problems. If the alcoholic started drinking in there secondary education(college) they may obtain deficits in their education. They may even obtain a learning disability or something of that nature. Because of this persons deficit they may not have the proper education or skills to obtain a high paying job. If the alcoholic is already in the workforce they tend to be in high paying positions that cause them to be over worked and highly stressed. They also they may choose to ignore the problem, do nothing, and hope it will either rectify itself or at least not worsen.
There are many causes of alcoholism, such as being depressed, peer pressure, and personal issues. Studies have shown that are more likely to come an alcoholic if it is on our genes. Environment is a big influence such as growing up and having alcohol around you. This comes into play when the individual’s environment has violence and tension as well. Most common thing is when parents are alcohol or drug abusers which lead they’re children to become alcoholics (Heredity and Alcoholism).
A majority of American citizens can honestly say that they, or a loved one, have been personally victimized by the dangerous side effects of alcohol. Yet alcohol is still considered a recreational beverage, that too many people take for granted. The addiction to alcohol is officially labelled as “Alcoholism.” Alcoholism can affect one’s life in a numerous amount of ways. It is an overlooked danger in the U.S. which can negatively affect the youth of America and the economy, which is why it is an enormous danger to the U.S.
Wrayburn: “It will be necessary, I think, to wind up Mr. Dolls, before anything to any mortal purpose can be got out of him. Brandy, Mr. Dolls, or - ?”
There are many causes that may lead to alcoholism. Psychological, social, and genetic factors have been linked to alcoholism. The psychological argument is that many alcoholics feel a feeling of inferiority and inadequacy. Alcohol is thought to give them false courage needed to face life. They are not capable of feeling self-assured to function in real life. Another cause may be a social factor. Many alcoholics start and begin moderately due to social or peer encouragement. They build up craving and demand leading to increasing consumption. Eventually, the drinking progresses beyond control. There is another factor: genetics. According to studies, children of alcoholics tend to abuse alcohol themselves. Physiologically alcoholics are though to be weak, and predisposed and more likely to become alcoholics themselves. Children of alcoholic parents tend to be more likely to be alcoholics.
Every society has its own views on how the consumption of alcohol should be handled and regulated. Their differences create a trickle effect of how it is used, and is distinctive to that culture or society. Many cultures drinking habits go hand in hand with religion, and social customs. Drinking alcohol is in many cases a part of extensive learned tradition, where people pride themselves with their ability to hold their liquor. In countries where alcohol is part of the “norm”, the outcomes of drinking habits or the effects of alcohol are much different, “A population that drinks daily may have a high rate of cirrhosis and other medical problems but few accidents, fights, homicides, or other violent alcohol-associated conflicts; a population with predominantly binge drinking shows the opposite complex of drinking problems”#. It has been observed that cultures with rich traditions and acceptance of alcohol use tend to deal less with the typical alcohol related problems, compared to the cultures who treat alcohol as an escape or something that will make them better in the eyes of others. In these societies, like the U.S. alcohol hasn’t always been present and grown to be...
“For every family that is impacted by drugs, there are another 10 to 15 families impacted by alcohol abuse. It's a pretty big deal. We have a tendency to only look at part of the puzzle.” (Kevin Lewis). As a society we tend to categorize the severity of addiction in a way that drugs are the most dangerous and alcohol being just a problem. Because alcohol addiction can be a slow progressive disease many people don’t see it in the same light as drug addiction. An addiction to drugs is seen as being a more deadly and dangerous issue then that of alcohol because a drug addiction can happen more quickly and can kill more quickly. Alcohol is something that is easy to obtain, something that is found at almost every restaurant. People with an alcohol addiction can not hide from alcohol as easy 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 terrorized by drunk drivers.
Alcohol abuse is the most common problem, nowadays. In fact, majority of people drink alcohol repeatedly to the point where they have difficulty to stop. Statistics show that, as much as, “40% of college students report drinking five or more drinks in one episode” (Walters & Baer, 2006). Alcohol has become more popular over the years as advertisements, simultaneously with commercials of it, filled the media. It also is easily accessible and cheap in comparison to other psychoactive substances. On the other hand, alcohol safety awareness programs are barely noticeable. My research will present how alcohol and its abuse gets into people’s lives and how it influences their physical and mental health, as well as, social existence.