The Benefits Of Alcohol

There are roughly 80,000 deaths that are related to alcohol abuse every year, making it the 3rd highest cause of death in the United States. Every day more and more people are losing their lives to alcohol related illnesses and incidents. Alcohol is in fact a drug that has little to none health benefits. This topic is easy for me to write about because I believe that alcohol should be illegalized. Although it would be a long hard road to make alcohol illegal I think the benefits would outweigh the consequences. If alcohol was made illegal there would be less fatalities in the United States.

Ethyl alcohol, or ethanol, is an intoxicating ingredient found in beer, wine, and liquor. Alcohol is produced by the fermentation of yeast, sugars, and starches. It is a central nervous system depressant that is rapidly absorbed from the stomach and small intestine into the bloodstream. A standard drink contains 0.6 ounces of pure ethanol. Depending on a person’s weight, age, and size as little as two drinks could but you over the legal limit, which is 0.08% of a person’s blood alcohol content. Alcohol affects every organ in the drinker’s body and can have many long lasting effects as well. Excessive alcohol use in a short amount of time can result in alcohol poisoning that can often times lead to death or loss of brain cells. Intoxication can impair brain function and motor skills. Heavy alcohol use can increase the risk for certain cancers, stroke, and liver disease. In 2009, liver cirrhosis was the 12th leading cause of death in the United States, with a total of 31,522 deaths. Among all the cirrhosis deaths in 2009, 48 percent were alcohol related. Also in 2009, alcohol related liver disease was the primary cause of almost 1 i...

... middle of paper ...

...sume alcohol to a point of dependence are more likely to do so when they grow up. In one study, 72% of women and 27% of men with alcoholic tendencies reported that they had grown up around people with alcoholism. Alcohol is a drug that poses harm to all who consume and don’t consume it. If alcohol were to be made illegal it would take away all of these harmful effects on society.

Alcohol has no benefits to society and the people who chose to consume it. The harmful consequences that come from alcohol could be reduced if not eliminated if alcohol were to become illegal. Making alcohol illegal would be hard and tedious. It would also require strict regulations and enforcement of those regulations. The outcome of the illegalization of alcohol would be reduced deaths, reduced health problems, and an overall better image of America ann its population.