In the world we live in today, people have quite easy access to things that can corrupt them. These things cloud one’s judgment and coerce people into doing things they should not. Alcohol is one of those things. Alcohol is extremely easy to get ahold of. It can be attained from anywhere; there are bars and liquor stores on every corner. One can get alcohol in grocery stores, gas stations, people can even brew it themselves if they know how. Alcohol that is commonly abused comes in a large variety ranging from weaker alcohols like wine and beer to stronger substances like tequila and vodka. When one abuses alcohol it taints the minds of even the purest souls and then they do things they normally would not do or it brings out their darker sides. Out of all the adults in the nation over half have a history of alcohol abuse or excessive drinking in their families (Research Society on Alcoholism 1). The Research Society defines alcohol abuse as five or more drinks in one day at least one time a week for men, and four or more for women (Research Society on Alcoholism 1). Alcoholism has many negative effects such as causing economic instability, violence, health problems, and can lead to death of not just the drinker but people around them. Although alcohol abuse has many negative effects on the lives of families, the worst are domestic violence, child abuse, and health issues.
“In 2009, an estimated 3.5 million California adults ages 18-65 reported that they had been a victim of intimate partner violence…when asked if their partner had appeared to be drinking alcohol or using drugs during the most recent incident, almost half replied in the affirmative” (Holtby 2). Domestic violence is one of the more vicious of the effects of alcoho...
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...umption Creates Numerous Health and Safety Risks." Impact of Alcoholism and Alcohol Induced Disease on America. 2011. 1-5. Rpt. In Alcohol Abuse. Ed. Christine Watkins. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2012. At Issue. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 12 Dec. 2013.Document URL Http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/ovic/ViewpointsDetailsPage/ViewpointsDetailsWindow?failOverType=&query=&p...
SEREC, MAŠA, Et Al. "Health-Related Lifestyle, Physical And Mental Health In Children Of Alcoholic Parents." Drug & Alcohol Review 31.7 (2012): 861-870. Academic Search Premier. Web. 12 Jan. 2014.
Walls, Jeannette. The Glass Castle: A Memoir. New York: Scribner, 2005. Print.
Widom, Cathy S., Ph.D., and Susanne Hiller-Sturmhofel, Ph.D. "Alcohol Abuse as a Risk Factor for and Consequence of Child Abuse." N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Jan. 2014. .
“The harmful use of alcohol is a global problem which compromises both individual and social development. It results in 2.5 million deaths each year. An intoxicated person can harm others or put them at risk of traffic accidents or violent behavior, or negatively affect co-workers, relatives, friends or strangers. Thus, the impact of the harmful use of alcohol reaches deep into society.” This is a scary statistic which figuratively states that every thirteen seconds someone dies in a death related to alcohol. CBS news reported that more than 30 percent of American adults have abused alcohol or suffered from alcoholism at some point in their lives. This is a staggering number which is widely overlooked because alcohol is legal. Those who suffer feel helpless and trapped by their addiction being unable to stop and quit on their own. Thankfully a man named, Bill Wilson, lead a group of men to write how to become set free from the slavery of addiction.
Consumption of alcohol affects children in many negative ways. Jeannette Walls and her siblings have faced an abundance of obstacles thrown at them by their father. Despite his major flaws, Jeannette still views him as the person she used to admire. But because of
National Coalition against Domestic Violence (n.d.). Domestic Violence and Substance Abuse. Retrieved June 4, 2014 from http://www.ncadv.org/files/SubstanceAbuse.pdf
Frey and Schonbeck explain that it is estimated that over 76 million people worldwide are affected by alcohol abuse or dependence. The chance of having an alcoholic in one’s life is very high. Children that grow up in an environment with an alcoholic may increase that child’s chance of becoming an alcoholic themselves. In the United States, the most commonly abused drug among youth is alcohol. Even though the legal drinking age is 21, nearly 20% of all alcohol consumed in the United States is by people under the legal age (83). In fact, when youth start drinking at social events in their teenage years, they are greatly increasing their risk of developing alcohol problems (85). Alcoholism can affect people of all ages. Furthermore, some experts try to differentiate between alcoholics and social drinkers. Typically, they base this off of five categories. Social drinkers do not drink alone. They consume minimal amounts of alcohol during social functions. Situational drinkers may not ever drink unless they are stressed out. These drinkers are more likely to drink by themselves. Problem drinkers can be described as a drinker that alcohol has caused problems in their life. However, they usually respond to advice given by others. Binge drinkers are out of control in their alcohol consumption. They may drink until they pass out or worse. Alcoholic drinkers have found that their lives have become unmanageable and that they are completely powerless over alcohol (84). Alcoholics should be cautious of their surroundings to prevent
Do we really know how much damage alcohol can do to a person? Alcohol becomes an addiction. Alcohol has its benefits but it also has its downsides. It’s known that alcohol has it’s benefits but if you drink “moderately”. Alcohol can destroy your life and ruin your family. People tend to abuse alcohol, people make bad choices when it comes to alcohol. Alcohol makes you act a certain way when you're intoxicated. Alcohol can cause liver damage and many other health problems. The background of this essay is that I can relate to alcohol usage. Alcohol creates emotional, physical, mental and family problem to a person that abuses alcohol usage.
Strine, T. W., Dube, S. R., Edwards, V. J., Prehn, A. W., Rasmussen, S., Wagenfield, M., … Croft, J., (2012) Associations between adverse childhood experiences, psychological distress, and adult alcohol problems. American Journal of Health Behavior, 36(3), 408-423. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.5993/AJHB.36.3.11
Alcohol dependence and alcohol abuse involve drinking patterns in which periods of heavy drinking followed with periods of abstinence. Alcohol generally has a suppressive effect on the central nervous system (CNS): It reduces the activity of excitatory neurotransmitters and enhances the activity of inhibitory neurotransmitters and thus their receptors. After long-term alcohol exposure, the body activates a set of mechanisms to counteract the effects of alcohol’s persistent presence in the brain. These mechanisms promote the activity of excitatory neurotransmitter systems and suppress the activity of inhibitory neurotransmitter systems, thereby attempting to return brain function to a “normal” state in the presence of alcohol. When the individual stops drinking, however, these adaptive changes result in an imbalance in inhibitory and excitatory neurotransmission, resulting in CNS hyperexcitability that produces as alcohol withdrawal (AW) symptoms. This essay will focus on the main inhibitory and excitatory neurotransmission systems and the symptoms produced in AW due to the imbalance in the brain. Followed by outlining other physiological changes alterations that are associated with AW.
“Consequences of Underage Drinking.” John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. John University, 2010. Web. 14 Nov. 2011.
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.
“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.
Earls, F., Reich, W., Jung, K. G., & Cloninger, C. R. (2006). Psychopathology in children of alcoholic and antisocial parents. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 12(4), 481 - 487.
Smith, Karen. “Alcohol Use by youth and Adolescents: A Pediatric Concern.” Pediatric American Academy of Pediatrics. 12 April, 2010. Web. 26 March, 2014. .
Alcohol is a very serious and dangerous drug, although it is not treated this way anymore. College students have taken drinking to a new level in which, for many, is very scary. Alcohol is much more dangerous than many would think. Kids see a night of drinking as a great way to have fun and party but do not see the consequences. Getting drunk and even blacking out can lead to many problems. When alcohol is consumed in unhealthy amounts, it can lead to not only short-term effects, but long-term ones as well.
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.
... Alcoholism is a serious problem in today's society. It is extremely important that the public, including the large groups of users and abusers of alcohol, gain as much knowledge as possible about the symptoms and effects of alcoholism if we ever want to see the reduction of statics involving fatalities, injuries, diseases caused from the use and abuse of alcohol. Education and realization of the effects alcoholism can have on the different aspects of a person's life are the best ways that we can help control the number of alcoholics in the United States.